Gods Among Men
by mayghaen17
Summary: Loki breaks free from Asgardian prison and flees to Midgard with the intention of hiding in plain sight. In doing so, he meets a woman who draws his attention like a moth to a flame. The more he gets to know her, the more he learns that she is not just another mortal, but the Goddess Sigyn. Little does he know that Sigyn can make all of his dreams come true.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: many of you may remember this story. I took it down a few months ago because it didn't feel right so after some editing and new inspiration I feel like I have something worth posting and finishing so, here ya go!**

**This takes place after the Avengers**

* * *

**Gods Among Men**

ONE

The crowd that gathered in the Golden Hall was massive. Bodies were squeezed in as they awaited the arrival of the war criminal. They were waiting to see him be punished for what he had done and not only to Midgard, but to Asgard as well. His actions were atrocious and not one person dared to believe otherwise. The anger was tangible in the crowd as they continued to wait. Odin sat in his throne chair, signaling that the trial would begin at any moment. As if on cue, a mumble went through the crowd, starting with those that were closest to the exit. The Rainbow Bridge had been activated; the prince and the prisoner had returned.

The crowd parted as Thor pulled Loki to the throne. Thor pushed Loki to his knees and looked to his father at the throne. "Those of Midgard wish your punishment to be swift and just," he said as he removed the silencer around Loki's mouth.

"You have done well, my son," Odin said and after Thor inclined his head, he stepped back. His eyes moved to Loki, his other son and he nodded at him. "Rise," he demanded.

Loki got to his feet and inclined his head. "What shall my punishment be? Banishment? Death? I fear none of that."

"Silence," Odin demanded, his powerful voice shaking the Golden Hall. "First you use your brother's banishment as means to get rid of me and claim the throne for yourself. You invite the people of the Bifrost here in an attempt to completely control all of Asgard." He took a deep breath as his voice began to fill with fatherly disappointment. "You then take our weapons to Earth in the hopes of taking Thor out once and for all. You have disgraced your title as prince and your family in more ways than one, Loki and you have done so yet again by bringing destruction to Midgard."

"They are nothing but simple minded humans."

"Humans that were able to take you out and stop you from dominating them," Thor said with a certain amount of smugness.

"Those were not simple minded humans," Loki argued.

"Silence!" Odin boomed, the Golden Hall trembling from his might. "You must pay for what you have done. There is blood on your hands, Loki and plenty of it." He looked to Thor and nodded. "You will wait in captivity while I ponder a punishment suitable for your crimes."

Thor, along with many other Asgardian warriors, surrounded Loki as they began to escort him down to the holding cells. Many of them new to the Golden Hall, having traveled there for the first time to see the punishment of the war criminal Loki. They followed at the back of the crowd watching and listening out for those that would try to aid in his escape.

Thor was the one to lock the door, standing just outside as he stared at his brother. "Why?" he asked.

"Why what?"

"We are your family. You were always one of us."

"No, no I wasn't," Loki argued and turned away from Thor, not wanting to hear anymore. "I was never of Asgard until Odin took me from my home and lied to me all these years."

"Odin saved you-"

"From a world he was destroying!" Loki fired, whirling back around. He shook his head and laughed. "It doesn't matter now, what's done is done."

Thor said nothing as he stared at Loki for a long moment before returning to the Golden Hall to wait for his father's decision with the others.

Loki paced in his cell as he waited for what seemed like an eternity. He went over all the things that had gone wrong with his plan and cursed himself each and every time. He hadn't thought the doctor would create a fail safe for the portal while under his control. It was one aspect of human nature that he despised; free will.

The moment he heard footsteps headed towards him, he moved to the back of his cell and waited with his hands behind his back. The time for his punishment had come. He smirked as Thor opened the cell door. "Don't enjoy yourself too much, brother."

"You think I enjoy this?"

"Why wouldn't you? I am your competition and I am about to be taken out of the equation."

"I did not want this. I do not want you as my enemy Loki. You are my brother whether or not we are related by blood."

Loki's smirk diminished and a scowl took place. "I suggest you hurry, Father doesn't like to wait."

Thor shook his head before grabbing Loki's upper arm. Once again he led his brother through the crowded Golden Hall and stepped back once they had stopped in front of the throne. "It saddens me that just after banishing one son who would be king, I have to punish another," Odin said with a slight shake of his head. "What I did to Thor was to teach him some humanity and humility. I do not think that would work in your case, Loki, but-"

Odin was interrupted by a giant blast in the center of the Golden Hall. The blast parted the crowd and caused chaos. Screams pierced the air as survivors looked upon both strangers and loved ones that had been killed. Loki turned to smirk at Thor before running into the chaos. His followers had arrived to help him escape just as he thought they would. As he mixed in with the other Asgardians trying to get out of the Golden Hall, the sorceress Amora and the Jotunheimian Warrior Skurge came to his side, flanking him in a protective position. They said nothing to each other, just exchanged looks and fought off the warriors that tried to get their hands on Loki. As they made their way out of the Golden Hall, Loki turned to see Thor trying to make his way through the crowd.

Amora moved to be between Loki and Skurge. She grabbed their hands and used her power to propel them to the opening of the Rainbow Bridge faster than Thor could throw his hammer. As they reappeared just outside the transport room, Amora stopped and began chanting. Loki stared back at the Golden Hall of Asgard, watching as his brother and father came closer and closer. Just as they reached the edge of the Bridge, Amora's spell began to work and the trio disappeared without activating the Bridge.

"Where did they go?" Thor demanded of the gate keeper.

"They did not use the Bridge," he informed them. "I do not know."

Thor stood there, staring at the spot Loki had vanished from. "We have to find him," he said as he began walking back to the Golden Hall.

Loki inhaled as he, Amora, and Skurge dropped onto the surface of a planet he was not familiar with. "Where are we?" Skurge demanded, his voice rough.

"It does not matter," Loki informed him.

"What happens now?" Amora asked, her voice silky as ever.

"We go our separate ways. The two of you will remain in this realm. I need you to round up any and all who would fight behind me as their leader as I take down Asgard."

"And what will you do?" she asked.

"I'm going back to Midgard."

"My lord, surely they would look for you there first."

Loki shook his head. "I believe it is the last place they would search for me. I only just left one day ago leaving a path of destruction behind me. No one would expect me to return to hide there." Amora and Skurge exchanged looks. "When you have an army, contact me. Until then, I will lay low."

"Be careful, my lord," Amora said as she and Skurge bowed down to him.

"You as well," he returned and extended his hand for her to take. She repeated the same chant she had used earlier and before he knew it, he was standing back on Earth, but nowhere near New York. He used his power to change his clothes to normal human attire, signaling the start of his time in hiding on the very planet he had just tried to destroy.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

_A smile graced her lips as she was roused from sleep by the gentle caressing of her face. He was gentle as he swiped the pad of his thumb over her cheek and traced her lips with his index finger. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw the smile that he had on. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers before whispering, "Good morning."_

_ "Morning," she muttered back, shifting beneath the sheets to get closer to him. "How is it that you are always up before me?"_

_ "The Fates are kind as they know how much I enjoy watching you sleep," he replied, his hand sliding to cup the side of her face. "You look peaceful and happy."_

_ "I'm always happy when you're around," she breathed, reaching up to place her hand over his._

_ "As am I," he said and moved so that her body cradled his. "The Fates were kind the day they led me to you."_

_ She stared up at him and reached up to brush the hair back from his face. "I love you."_

_ "And I you," he replied and leaned down to capture her lips with his own. As the kiss deepened, they both reveled in the love that surrounded them and the joy that the feeling brought along with it. She closed her eyes and gave in to the kiss, focusing on nothing but the way his body felt above hers._

The sound of a bottle crashing to the floor had Kass bolting into an upright position in bed. She was bathed in a cold sweat and panting to catch her breath. She braced herself on one arm and placed her other hand over her wildly beating heart. It had been awhile since she had had one of _those _dreams. She had almost forgotten what they had felt like. She shook her head to try and clear herself of the daze, but the image of his face still lingered before her, the ghost of his kiss still heavy on her lips.

"You okay?" a voice murmured from beside her, bringing her forcefully back to reality.

"Yeah," she breathed as she surveyed the room. She cleared her throat as the sight of beer bottles, glasses, and various other items of trash that littered the apartment. She then turned to the person taking up the side of the bed and smiled slightly at the sight of her best friend, Tegan. "You?" she asked once her heart rate returned to normal as she settled back down on the bed.

Tegan rolled over so that she was lying on her back, but she reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Peachy." Kass' lips quirked into a smile for a second before she looked up at the ceiling. "Seriously though, you were talking in your sleep the way you do when...you know."

Kass sighed. "Yeah, it was one of those dreams," she said.

"What did you see?"

She took a deep breath before shaking her head. "Nothing important," she said and decided to get up. "Look, I'm gonna be late for work. I'll help you clean up later."

"Kass," Tegan chided as she turned her head to see see the brunette scrambling around the room for her uniform. "What did you see?" she pressed, knowing it wasn't like Kass to keep her visions to herself.

Kass stopped to look at Tegan. "Nothing scary or life threatening," she said, her tone lighter.

Tegan noticed something pass over Kass' face and she couldn't help but smile at her. "Ah, so it was something tall, dark, and handsome."

Kass flushed and bit her lip to keep from smiling too much. "See you later," she said before rushing out.

* * *

As usual, it was late by the time Kass was actually able to go home. The dim witted employee to come in to relieve her was over an hour late as she was every day. Not that it bothered Kass too much, she could use the money from over time. The bad part was that now that her work day had been even longer, the walk home seemed to take an eternity. Something made even worse by the fact that it was a Saturday night and people were everywhere. It was about the time for all the bars to be populated by hopefulls and Kass had to fight her way through them in order to get home. _Yay for city life_, she thought as she slipped into an opening in the crowd.

As she walked towards the cross walk, she felt something wash over her, almost as if someone were staring at her. Intuition told her that this wasn't just some random stranger, but someone she was or would be connected to in some way. It forced her to stop and turn around to find the source. Unable to locate anything but a sea of bodies, she turned back around.

However, as she did, she almost collided with a cyclist and the surprise sent her stumbling back. Only, she tripped over her own footing and found herself moving out into the busy street before she could stop herself. She felt her foot slide off the curb and she knew she was falling in to the street. Right as she landed on the asphalt, she heard the sound of a blaring horn and she closed her eyes in anticipation. But instead of an impact, she felt someone wrap their arms around her, pulling her back.

It was all a blur. Her body stung from the fall and she was pretty sure her ankle was sprained, but it was all numbed by the sound of someone screaming in the background and the screeching of brakes bringing cars to a halt. The arms around her tightened and before she knew it, the sounds of the aftermath disappeared until it was just the sound of breathing from her and her savior. She felt the roughness of brick wall at her back and leaned on it as her savior stepped back to inspect her. Kass' eyes went wide as she stared at him and as the realization swept over her, she turned her head to the side and retched.

The man that had saved her was the man from her dream only a few hours before.

* * *

Thor paced the Golden Hall as Odin sat in his throne with his head in his hand. The destruction of the escape was still visible, but the screams had stopped. The stench of death lingered, a reminder that when Loki was found, the punishment had to be harsh. "We have to find him," Odin said as he stood up.

"How? He could be anywhere and he will be more than careful to cover his tracks. He is very good at hiding," Thor replied, stopping to look at his father.

"He cannot hide forever."

Thor shook his head in agreement. "We could open the portal to Midgard. Nick Fury should be aware of what has transpired here."

"How could a mere mortal help us?"

The corner's of Thor's lips twitched into a smile for a moment. "Do not underestimate the power of a mere mortal, Father. Loki would not be so foolish as to return to Midgard, but it is worth contacting them."

Odin considered it for a moment and then gave his nod of approval. "Do what you deem necessary, Thor. Whatever it takes to find Loki."

Thor nodded and took his leave of the Golden Hall. Odin closed his eyes, jolting when he felt a soft, feminine hand on his forearm. "Your people need you," Frigga said softly.

His hand sought hers and she squeezed it for reassurance. "And I need you." He saw the sadness in her eyes and added, "He will forever be our son, but this was too much to forgive. He must be given the appropriate punishment."

"I know," she whispered knowing full well what the punishment would be. Not needing to say anything else, Odin vacated his throne and went to tend to his people.

* * *

A million and one things were running through her mind as Kass wiped her mouth. One of them was trying to figure out where they were because she didn't recognize the little alley that they were now standing in. She didn't even hear the sounds of a street nearby so wherever they were, they had gotten there in the blink of an eye and that sent her head reeling again. Not only was everything such a blur that had it not been for the pain in her body she would have thought she had imagined it waiting to cross the road, but he was staring at her with such intensity.

His stare burned her skin almost as much as the road rash did. He watched the way she tried to gain her balance and make sure that she wasn't going to throw up again. He stared at her wondering why he had saved her and why he was sticking around. There was something about her that captivated him and it wasn't until he heard her voice that he found himself truly incapable of moving away now.

"Who are you?"

"You're welcome," he replied, giving her a slight smirk.

Her eyes fluttered and she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, it's just..." her voice trailed off and she shook her head slightly before smiling at him. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome," he repeated.

"And who exactly am I thanking?" she asked.

"My name is Loki," he found himself answering. He had no idea why he told her the truth, but he knew he couldn't lie to her for whatever reason.

"As in the God of Mischief?" she asked. His eyes widened and he simply nodded as he was unsure of what to say. "Your parents must have been mythology lovers and also really cruel." When he didn't comment, she smiled and introduced herself. "I'm Kass."

"Kass," he muttered and the sound of her name on his lips gave her the chills.

She glanced around the alley in attempt to make the chills go away and then looked back at him. "Where are we?"

"I took you away from the scene."

"Why?"

It was a good question; he wasn't quite sure why he hadn't saved her and then left her there for the huge crowd to help her. He had brought more attention to himself by whisking her off than he had by saving her. "To give you some air," he replied.

Kass shifted her weight and winced as pain shot up her leg. The man rushed forward to support her and it nearly took her breath away. Her body was inches from his and instead of being absurd, it felt _right_. "I think it's sprained," she breathed as she turned her head away from him, fully aware that she had just puked in front of him. "I should probably go to Urgent Care or the emergency room."

"No need," he said softly.

Before she could ask what he meant, she heard him mumble something under his breath in a strange language and was quickly overcome with a warming sensation throughout her entire body. Her head tipped back and her eyes closed as the warmth increased to almost pain-like and then stopped as suddenly as it had started. He stopped speaking, but didn't move as she caught her breath. She felt better than she had in a long time; as though she had never been sick a day in her life. She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes to savor the feeling.

Loki watched the healing process and found himself leaning in. For a split second he thought of the mortal Thor had met and how she had changed him and he was filled with hope. The feeling went away as he thought of all the things he had done in the recent days and he knew he was beyond saving. He waited until Kass opened her eyes to make sure that she would be fine. As her lips parted to ask what had just happened, he made the decision to disappear and as fast as he had entered her life, he had left it.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

Thor made his way to one of the rooms of the grand palace where he would be able to communicate with the people of Midgard. There were others in the room using the communicators as well, but all chatter stopped the moment Thor's presence was noticed. "Everyone must leave," he demanded and it wasn't long before the room was cleared for him. He stood in front of the largest screen and used his own magic to conjure up the connection to Nick Fury.

"Thor?" came the sound of the leader's voice.

"It is I."

"I take it this isn't going to be good news."

Thor shook his head. "I regret to inform you that Loki has escaped Asgard. He has been missing for almost twenty-four of your Earth hours. He did not use the Rainbow Bridge so we have no way of tracking his whereabouts at this time."

"Do you think he would come here?"

"It would be foolish, but not impossible."

Fury nodded and sat back in his chair. "It would be smart if he did. With our focus being on the repairs in New York, he could remain here hidden for quite some time. I will alert the others to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. How do I contact you?"

"I will contact you regularly," Thor stated and both men gave a curt nod before Thor ended the connection.

Fury put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath before sitting forward to get the Avengers on a multi-chat call. "This better be good," came Stark's voice.

"Do I have everyone?" A series of agreements were heard and Fury continued. "I received a message from Thor on Asgard. Loki has escaped and his whereabouts are unknown at this time. Once New York is dealt with, we will have to use SHIELD resources to locate him. I just wanted to give you a head's up that he might be on Earth and if you cross paths, be aware. That is all," he said and ended the connection as Thor had done to him.

* * *

Tegan ran for the door the moment Kass opened it. "I was beginning to think you died," she said as she wrapped her arms around Kass.

Kass hugged her friend back and closed her eyes. "Yeah, well, I almost did."

"What?" Tegan asked, pulling back to look Kass in the eyes.

Kass took a deep breath and then went to sit on the couch before she launched into her story. "I'll tell you everything, just get me a shot."

"On it," Tegan replied before scrambling around the room for the remaining tequila. Instead of putting it in a cup, she simply handed Kass the bottle after taking a swig from it herself. She then stared at Kass, going over every square inch of her exposed skin. "Well, I don't see any damage, but you better start talking before I cause some."

Kass attempted a smile and took a deep drink from the bottle. "I don't even know what happened. It was all so fast. One minute I was walking home and the next I was in an alley with some stranger."

"That makes no sense."

"I know," Kass replied, taking another swig. "I was so concerned that someone was staring at me that when I turned around I almost fell into the crosswalk." She shook her head. "No, I did fall into the crosswalk. I'm sure of it, but in the blink of an eye I wasn't there."

Tegan watched as a myriad of emotions played over Kass' face. "Kass..."

Kass' eyes met Tegan's and she was truly staring at her. "It was _him_. The man who saved me was the one from the dream I had this morning." She shook her head and put the bottle to her lips again. After feeling the contents burn their way down her throat, she took another deep breath and looked around to see that Tegan had started cleaning. "You know what, I have tomorrow off, for now I'm just going to bed. I'll help you finish cleaning up tomorrow."

"Are you alright?" Tegan asked, putting her hand over Kass'."

"I didn't die, there's no scratch on me, so yeah, I'm fine," she said and headed down the hall to her room.

* * *

Loki walked into the apartment he had commandeered during his short time on Midgard. He was still in disbelief over the events that had just transpired in the last hour. He had never seen someone like her before, someone that got under his skin in this sort of way. He had been staring at her intensely before he saw the beginning of the accident from the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure what made him use his abilities to save her, but he didn't even give the act a second thought before he pulled her away from the car that was sure to hit her and whisking her away to a nearby alley. He shuddered involuntarily as he recalled the way her body felt in his arms and the way she looked while he was healing her.

Trying to shake it off, he went in search of the liquor the previous owner had stashed away in the kitchen. Instead of taking a glass, he simply took the bottle with him to the window and stared out over the city view. He was torn between moving on so that he could cover his tracks or staying here and trying better to blend in. He was lucky that he had remembered to dress like a mortal instead of wearing his Asgardian garb when he stepped out that evening. The more he weighed the pros and cons of leaving this place already, the more he found himself realizing that he couldn't leave until he got to know her more.

"Kass," he whispered, trying to place his finger on the emotion that came from saying her name. That alone was reason enough to stay in one spot for awhile.

As he took another drink from the bottle, he caught the reflection of himself in the mirror. He stared at himself, letting his eyes travel up and down until he found what was wrong. There was blood on his clothes; her blood. He sighed knowing that if he was going to wear this again, he had to wash it out. The humans would not react kindly to the sight of him this way.

That thought brought a scowl to his lips as he thought of it. He had been telling himself that Asgard was not his true home for a long time now, but even after the first time he made his escape, he found himself missing the planet more than he thought he should. Even now, the pain of being homesick struck through him. He shook his head and tried his best to ignore it. This was his home now. Even if it wasn't forever, it was going to have to do for the time being. With that, he turned away from the window and headed towards the bedroom to change his clothes, drinking more from the bottle along the way.

He stopped in the doorway at the sight of Amora sitting on his bed. "This was a foolish place to hide," she said as he leaned on the doorway.

"Nice to see you too, Amora," he returned, taking a drink from the bottle.

"They know you're here," she pressed.

"But they do not know where to look for me or they would have done so already."

"Loki-"

"Do you have anything to report?" he interrupted.

She scowled at him, but shook her head. "Skurge as located a few warriors worthy of fighting for you, but nothing concrete. It's only been two days."

"And you?"

"I am doing what I can."

"Do better," he demanded.

"I would do better if you would simply leave this place, Loki. It's not safe for you here," she repeated.

"I can't."

"Why? It's not like you're in any position to try attacking right now. We are getting you an army, but an army is useless without a leader."

"They have a leader."

"Not if you get thrown back into Asgardian prison. The Allfather was holding you out of mercy because you are his son. He won't make that mistake again. Son or not, there will be no breaking you out a second time." Loki cringed at the thought of Odin and being called his son, but he did not argue. Amora had a point, but before he could say anything else, Amora rushed on. "There is someone on Midgard who could help."

Loki nodded, intrigued. "Go on."

"Her name is Anikka. She is a powerful sorceress who helps escapees."

"For a price, I assume."

Amora inclined her head. "Since you're determined to stay here, I recommend you speak to her. She is your best hope." She approached him and put a piece of paper in his free hand. "And if something happens in the meantime, don't say I didn't warn you," she stated before vanishing from sight.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

Loki made his way to the address Amora had given him. It would have been very hard had he not hailed a cab because he had no idea how to navigate this place. There were too many buildings that all looked the same. It made him wonder if humans had an creativity at all. As they pulled up to a building on the other side of town, Loki looked at the driver through the tiny mirror attached to the front of the car. "It looks abandoned," he stated staring out at the buildings that appeared to be nearly crumbling in on themselves.

"It might as well be. This is a bad part of town. You sure you have the right address?" he asked.

Loki had been wondering that himself, but he nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you," he said and handed the driver his money before exiting the cab. He adjusted his clothes and made his way to the entrance of the only door that didn't seem to breakable by simply breathing on it.

The door opened before he even lifted his hand to knock and he stepped in without hesitation. "Ah, Loki Laufeyson," came a woman's voice from inside. "I was wondering how long it would be before you sought me out."

"Did Amora tell you I was coming?" he asked.

A tall, pale skinned woman with dark red hair stepped out from another room inside and shook her head at him. "I have not see Amora in a very long time. She must have thought you were truly desperate if it was she who referred you to me."

"I am not desperate," Loki stated, his voice full of contempt.

"Are you sure? I saw what went down in New York a few days ago. The fact that you're still living shows that you already exhausted all your options. Escape from Asgard barely happens once let alone twice. You are the God of Mischief, not luck."

"Fine," Loki said, his patience wearing thin. "You know of my predicament and I know that you can help me. I want an army or my freedom. Anything to keep me from being held prisoner. I will give you anything you want in return."

She smiled and shook her head at him. "You may want to refrain from the word 'anything' when around me. I will only warn you once because I do respect what you tried to do, but only once."

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I want my freedom as well."

Loki's lips fell into a frown. "I don't appreciate the mind games, Anikka."

She stared at him, her eyes spitting hate, but still guarded. "No games, Prince of Asgard, I assure you." She straightened her shoulders and tilted her head to the side. "There is a girl living here on Midgard. She's not a simple human, but finding her has always been difficult. She is immune to all of my tricks and spells to locate her and my punishment doesn't really allow me to do much more than that. I need her alive to barter for my freedom. Once I have mine, you shall have yours."

"Where is she?"

"Did you not hear me? If I knew that I wouldn't need your help," Anikka snapped.

"This planet is full of millions of people. How do you expect me to find one girl?" Loki argued.

"That, my prince, is on you. The best I can do is show you what she looks like, or rather what she looked like the last time I saw her. How and where you find her is up to you."

Loki inclined his head. "Do I have a timeline?"

"Not necessarily, but I suggest the faster the better. I grow restless and I'm sure you can't hide forever."

Loki thought about it and nodded once. "Is there anything about her you do know?"

"Her name is Sigyn," Anikka said and laughed shortly. "Fitting that the God of Mischief's mission would be to find Sigyn." She moved to stand before him and placed her hands on either side of his face. "And this is what she looks like," she added before melding their minds together to show him the girl she wanted him to find.

Loki straightened at the sight in his mind. It was Kassandra from the night before. "Are you sure this is the girl?"

Anikka heard the change in his tone; one of familiarity. "Yes."

"Then it looks like our freedom is closer than you think," he said, giving her a smile as he stepped away from her touch. "I'll be seeing you," he added and took his leave.

* * *

Kass sat at the bar while Tegan made drinks for the other patrons from behind the counter. She was waiting for her roommate to get off of work so that she could get a ride home. Kass wasn't really into walking home after what had happened the night before. After she had finished her shift at the diner, she had crossed the street in a hurry to Tegan's bar and was now nursing her drink while she waited. She pinched the straw between her fingers and slowly began to stir the drink. She stared into the glass, watching as the liquid went round and round and before she knew it, she slipped away from reality and into the future.

_The lights were dimmed and the crowd surrounding her was moving with energy from the band on stage.. Kass looked up to see familiar faces on stage with Tegan's friend Nate singing his heart out into the microphone. She could feel herself wanting to sway to the beat, but something was urging her to break away from the crowd for a moment. She tapped Tegan on the shoulder and pointed in the direction of the bar as the song came to an end._

_"Where are you going?" Tegan asked, panting._

_ "To get a drink. You want anything?" Kass asked._

_ Tegan shook her head and Kass took her leave of the dance floor in search of the bar. As she made her way to the edge of the crowd, she stumbled upon a mirror and did a double take. She wasn't sure what was strange about it, but something seemed off. Shaking her head to clear it, she continued to the bar._

_ "What can I get for you?" the bartender asked._

_ "A shot of Patron, no salt, no lime," she ordered._

_ "Make that two," came a silky voice from beside her._

_ Kass' blood burned and her breath caught as she turned to see _him_ standing beside her. "How..." she started, but the music started again and the scene began to fade._

"Kass! Hello? Earth to Kass!" came Tegan's voice accompanied by snapping fingers by Kass' head.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she straightened up and took a deep breath. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if we were still going to Nate's thing tonight. He texted me earlier and I told him I would check with you." She tilted her head to the side. "Are you alright?"

Kass nodded. "I just had another vision."

"Already?"

She nodded again and smiled at Tegan reassuringly. "Where is the show?"

"Hype."

Kass recalled the image of herself in the mirror and the bar name in the reflection. "Yeah, that sounds like fun. Tell Nate we'll be there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Kass stated. "My vision was at Hype while Nate was on stage. If I don't go, I don't know what will happen and I don't want to find out."

"Fair enough," Tegan replied and moved away to help another customer at the other end of the bar.

Kass, alone again, thought about the reflection of herself in the mirror. In all of her visions to date she had never seen herself. She had always seen everything through her eyes as she would when the reality happened, but she had never seen herself. Even more strange was the fact that she remembered small details like the name of the club. The visions had always been dreams that she remembered, but never had one felt so clear. What really intrigued her was the prospect of seeing Loki again. He was going to be important to her and she wanted to know why. She was looking forward to getting to know him and the thought of seeing him later that night brought a sly smile to her face.

* * *

Freyja stepped off the platform of the Rainbow Bridge with her companion Breyanna behind her. They made their way across the bridge before going straight to the Golden Hall where Frigga, Thor, and Odin were waiting for them. "Freyja," Frigga greeted, getting up from her throne chair to acknowledge her fellow goddess.

"Frigga, Thor, Allfather," she returned. She motioned for Breyanna to come closer and gestured towards the other girl. "This is Breyanna of Vanaheim. She comes from a strong line of Seers and has traveled all this way to deliver some news."

"What kind of news would be so urgent?" Odin asked.

"I know where Loki is," Breyanna announced.

Silence fell among them for a brief second. Thor crossed his arms across his chest. "Loki has not been missing for long. How could you possibly know where he is if our best locators can't find him?" he asked.

Freyja inclined her head. "Trust me, my prince, Breyanna is special." She turned to the side and placed a hand upon Breyanna's shoulder. "Tell them," she urged.

Breyanna stared at the royal family and took a deep breath before saying what she had traveled so far to say. "My visions have not only revealed the location of the war criminal you seek, but the long lost heir to the throne of Vanaheim."


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

"How is that possible?" Odin asked after a long bout of silence fell over the Golden Hall. "That lineage was killed off over a thousand years ago when your planet was at war with the Aesir."

Breyanna nodded. "As has been my belief as well. Until a few nights ago."

"There is no way to prove your accusations. Visions do not show the past, just the future," Odin argued.

"Breyanna is from one of Vanaheim's most prominent lines of seers. However, they are not like the others. Their visions have always been limited to the royal family of Vanaheim, not their own personal lives," Freyja explained in the hopes that Odin would not send them away without hearing Breyanna out.

Thor saw the struggle on Odin's face and stepped forward. "Is there a way that you can prove your claims?"

She nodded. "It will have to be through a mind link, but yes."

Thor nodded and extended his hand for Breyanna to take. He led her right up to the throne chairs where his parents sat and extended his other hand for his father. "She wouldn't have come to us if it weren't true. Let us see for ourselves and then you can decide what to do."

Odin nodded and took Thor's hand, offering the other one to Frigga. She in turn took Breyanna's other hand to complete the link. Breyanna used her magic to conjure up the image of the last known royal member of Vanaheim. "This is Sigyn. She escaped the war a thousand years ago and has been assuming different identities to keep herself hidden. She is living on Midgard and she will lead us to Loki. I have had the same vision about her for a few months, but only recently has it led to Loki's whereabouts."

Slowly, Breyanna ended the connection and took a step back from the others. She watched their faces as they absorbed the information. Frigga looked at her with tears in her eyes. "They are identical."

Breyanna nodded. "The connection only allowed me to show you the images, but not the feeling that I experience when I see Sigyn. I know that she is the long lost princess and I would love nothing more than to be the one to bring her home. If that means finding Loki in the process for you, then I would be happy to interfere in Asgardian business."

She looked at Odin as she said this and watched as he slowly came around to the idea. He gave a curt nod. "How will we know for sure?"

"As long as an object is linked to Sigyn, I will be able to confirm the connection as will others with that ability."

"You will accompany Thor to Midgard and you will bring both Sigyn and Loki here."

She bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you Allfather."

"Allow me to show you to our guest quarters for the evening," Frigga said, resting a hand on Breyanna's arm. "I'm sure there is some preparation to be done for your trip," she added and led her guest away from the others leaving her son and husband to plan.

* * *

Tegan came to stand beside Kass as she stared into her closet. "Are you sure you're okay to go tonight? No offense, but you seem a little off since last night. Not that I blame you."

Kass nodded, but ignored the question to say what was troubling her. "Normally I would try on everything I own to find the right outfit for an outing like this, but this time I already know what I'm going to wear."

Tegan tipped her head to the side and raised a brow. "I'm not following."

Kass turned to face her best friend. "I saw myself in the vision I had earlier."

"Okay..."

"I never see myself; ever. I saw myself all dressed up and every time I try to reach for something different than what I saw myself wearing I can't seem to make my body react to grab it." Kass shrugged and went back to staring at her clothes. "It's just a little frightening to know that the universe already knows what we're going to do. I kinda liked being oblivious to that part of what I can do."

Tegan nodded slightly and leaned against the wall while Kass walked into the closet to change for the show. "Have you ever thought about trying to find others who can do the same things as you?"

Kass snorted. "There's not really a way to approach someone about this. Am I just supposed to walk up to someone and say 'hey, can you see the future? Because I can and I think we should talk about it.' Someone's bound to throw me in the loony bin."

"You told me," Tegan said.

Kass paused and gave her friend a small smile. "That was different. We were already friends at that point and you kinda caught me off guard anyway."

"Have you ever tried paying attention to one of your visions in a way that would guide you to someone else?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, maybe someone else having the same vision as you?"

"Only if our visions crossed paths and even then, we would both have to be conscious of one another I think." Kass laughed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Are you almost ready?"

Tegan knew better than to press Kass about this and gave a slight nod. "Yup, just gotta grab something and then we can go," she said and darted off towards her room.

Kass approached the mirror hanging in the hallway to check her outfit. She looked almost exactly like she had in her vision an hour ago. From the grey off the shoulder top with brightly colored flowers on the front to the black skirt leading to black boots. She tipped her head to the side as she stared at herself, her curly dark auburn hair falling over her shoulder. Something was missing. Her green eyes traveled up and down her body until they landed on her neckline. "Necklace," she muttered and went back into her room.

She went right to the hook on the closet door and picked the first one that her fingers touched. It was an old family heirloom, or so she had always thought. It was the one piece of her past that stayed with her even if she didn't remember much about it. The light blue stone resting in a nest of antique twisted metal looked perfect with the outfit. Smiling to herself, she made her way to the living room where she grabbed her wallet. She took out her ID and credit card and slipped them into her pocket. She then locked arms with Tegan and the pair headed out.

* * *

Nate's band had been playing for nearly a half hour before Kass felt a change in the atmosphere. The song that they were playing began sounding familiar even though she had never heard them play before and she knew it was time. Just as she had in the dream, Kass tapped Tegan on the shoulder and pointed in the direction of the bar as the song came to an end.

"Where are you going?" Tegan asked, panting from singing along at the top of her lungs.

"To get a drink. You want anything?" Kass asked.

Tegan shook her head and Kass took her leave of the dance floor in search of the bar. As she made her way to the edge of the crowd, she stumbled upon a mirror and did a double take, just as she predicted she would. This time nothing seemed off, but it was still strange to see herself just as she imagined she would see herself. Shaking her head, she pulled her eyes away from her reflection and headed to the bar.

Luckily there wasn't a line for getting a drink at this point. "What can I get for you?" the bartender asked as she walked up.

"A shot of Patron, no salt, no lime," she ordered.

"Make that two," came a silky voice from beside her.

Kass' blood burned and her breath caught as she turned to see him standing beside her, just where she knew he would be. "How..." she started, but the music started again, ending any chance she had of hearing him.

The bartender lined up two shot glasses and poured the liquid into them before their eyes. Before she could offer her card, Loki put money on the counter and handed her her shot. They tipped the glasses towards each other and downed the contents in one go. As she put the empty glass back on the counter, she smiled at him before motioning for him to follow her.

When she knew she would be able to hear and speak without trying too hard, she stopped moving and turned to face him. "How did you find me?"

"You are under the assumption that I was looking?" he questioned, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

A smile twitched at her lips. "A girl can dream," she said and then shook her head. "It's nice to see you again. I wanted to see you again."

"As did I."

"I wanted to say thank you."

"You already did."

"I know, but you saved my life. Thanking you once is not going to be enough. Not on my end anyway. You're my hero."

Loki's smile vanished in an instant. "I am no hero."

Something about his tone told Kass to leave it alone so she nodded and changed the topic. "So how did you come to end up here?"

"I'm new in town and I thought a show could help me meet people," he answered. It was half true. He had heard about it after searching for hours for a clue on how to find her. He had reached into people's minds until he found some connection between this place and Kass.

"Oh, you're new," Kass replied, intrigued. "Where are you from?"

He shrugged slightly. "A far away place."

Kass' brows raised and she smirked. "Is that code for Europe?"

"It could be."

"Alright," she said playfully. "A man of mystery. I like it."

Loki glanced around the room for a second, debating how to play this out. He wanted to just snatch her and take her to Anikka, but there was something about her that made him want to get to know everything he could about her before that happened. So he found himself giving in and asking, "What about you?"

"I've been here for as long as I can remember," she answered and looked down. It was the truth, but it felt like a lie. She looked back up and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "How long have you been in town?"

"A few days."

"Oh wow, brand new. You're going to love it here."

"How so?"

"Well, if you want, I've been told I make an awesome tour guide. I could show you around some time."

"I'd like that," he said sincerely.

"Good. Me too," she said.

Silence fell over them and for a moment Kass could only stare at him and remember the first dream she had had about him and the way his lips felt against hers. Her cheeks flushed with heat and she looked down. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt his finger tilt her chin back up. Unable to do anything but stare back up at him, she surrendered as he leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

The dream, vision, whatever it was, was nothing compared to how his lips on hers in reality. Immediately her eyes closed as her hands reached out to touch him. Her fingers curled around the material of his shirt as she pulled him closer to her. One of his hands cupped her face for support as the other went to her waist. She expected him to pull her in, but instead he pushed her back against the wall behind her. Pain exploded through her body, but only added fuel to the heat between them and forced a moan to escape her lips. With the wall to support her, he was able to press himself fully against her leaving little to the imagination and it made Kass weak.

Just as she had begun to give into the notion that she would allow him to take her here and now, he pulled away, grinning. "Be seeing you," he breathed and vanished yet again.

Kass leaned against the back wall and touched her lips lightly. As usual, she could still feel the ghost of his kiss and he definitely left her wanting more. It was when she opened her eyes again that she noticed a dull glow coming from her necklace. As she lifted it up to inspect it, the crystal in the center was losing what little light it was giving off. Shrugging it off as a trick of the light, she shook her head and went back inside the bar to find Tegan.


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

Breyanna stood back as Thor said his goodbyes to his parents. She listened as he promised them that he would do his best to return home with Loki. Odin gave him permission to use whatever force necessary and to be careful. When Thor turned to see if Breyanna was ready, she gave a slight nod and took the hand that he offered her. They stepped up to the opening of the bridge and waited as Heimdall began to chant. It wasn't long before the gateway opened and the pair were sent hurdling through space on their way to Midgard. They landed with a thud in the middle of nowhere and after the dirt and debris settled, they made their move to greet those that were waiting for them.

"Thor," Fury greeted, extending his arm for a handshake.

"Fury." He nodded towards his companion. "This is Breyanna. She is of the planet Vanaheim."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said, tipping his head in her direction. "I am Nick Fury, leader of SHIELD."

"Pleasure to meet you as well."

"We'll talk more when we get to the base," he assured her, sensing that she wanted to deliver her message as quickly as possible.

"Will the others be joining us?"

"Some of them," Fury answered as they began moving towards the SHIELD vehicles. Thor nodded, accepting that as the only answer he would receive. He and Breyanna continued to follow Fury and were silent all the way to headquarters.

* * *

Kass had been woken early to her manager calling her in. Someone had called out and they needed her to cover. Of course she had said yes, but immediately she regretted it as she realized just how little sleep she had had. By the time she had gotten there she realized just how dumb agreeing to this had been as she was supposed to work the night shift. When it came time to finally go home, it was all she could do not to fall asleep when she blinked.

"You could have called me in earlier so you didn't have to do a double," her coworker Lisa said as she hurriedly tied her apron behind her back.

"I know," she said. "I would have been fine if I hadn't gone out with Tegan last night." She shrugged and undid her own apron. "Either way, thank you for not calling out. I'll see you in a few days." With that, she took her leave of the restaurant.

It was early evening on a Sunday which meant the streets weren't that crowded. It was nothing like the previous night where she had her near death experience. It made it easier to walk home and keep her mind from reliving the scene over and over again in her head. As she made her way to the first crosswalk, a sharp pain caused her to stop short.

_Seriously? I hate it when people stop for no reason_, came an unfamiliar voice in Kass' head. She turned around to see a teenager quickly ducking out of the path Kass blocked by stopping. Kass blinked as she turned back around slowly. She was pretty sure the girl hadn't spoken aloud because the sound in her head had been different.

The pain in her head worsened and like a light switch, the voices of dozens of people flooded her mind, making her drop to her knees while holding her head. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she felt hands on her shoulders and everything went quiet. She looked up to see Loki standing there, but the pain was too much and her vision quickly turned black.

* * *

Having finally arrived at SHIELD headquarters, Breyanna looked around with awe. She would never have expected something like the Helicarrier to be of human origin. From what she had read and heard about the planet of Midgard, their level of technology and general knowledge she expected far less. She was pleased to be wrong considering that recent events were sure to move Midgard to no longer be a planet kept in the dark about the rest of the universe.

Fury led her and Thor into a large room where three other people were already waiting in chairs. They attention focused on them the moment they entered the room. "I would say it's nice to see you again, but-" one of the other men said as he stood up to greet Thor.

"I feel the same way, Captain."

"Breyanna, this is Captain Steve Rogers. He is known as Captain America; a super soldier from a few decades ago," Fury introduced and then pointed to other gentleman. "This is Clint Barton or Hawkeye. He never misses his targets when he uses his bow and arrow. And this here is Natasha Romanoff also known as Black Widow. She is a very skilled fighter and has many tricks up her sleeve. Team, this is Breyanna of..." his voice trailed off, inviting her to finish.

"Vanaheim. A planet of peaceful people. Most of the inhabitants are seers and prophets."

"Is that why we were called in?" Hawkeye asked. "Did you see something?"

Breyanna looked at Thor and after he gave her a nod, she began her story. "I heard about what Loki had done to Asgard and in turn to Midgard. My heart goes out to those that had suffered." She took a breath and noticed the intense stares coming from the members of the room. "My family has always been known for their visions pertaining to the royal family of my planet and one of my visions involved a girl named Sigyn. A girl that comes from our original line of royalty; one that was thought to have been killed off a thousand years ago. In my visions with her we speak on Midgard and our conversation includes Loki."

Natasha ran a hand through her hair and sat back. "That's impressive."

"Freyja went to Vanaheim to see if anyone could help in the search of Loki and Breyanna stepped forward. Loki escaped Asgard and came back to Midgard," Thor explained.

"He probably thought no one would look for him here. It's clever," Hawkeye mused.

"But no match for the power of a seer. My brother is here and we will find him and bring him back. Breyanna has agreed to approach Sigyn and she what the situation is before we do anything. In the meantime, we need to plan our attack. We cannot have him escape again."

Fury nodded his approval. "Let's get started."

* * *

Kass woke with a start, pushing herself up on her elbows. The creak of leather underneath her let her know that she wasn't home. She sat up and looked around only to be rewarded by expensive looking furniture and an immaculately clean living space. "Definitely not at home," she muttered.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took you back to my place," Loki said as he emerged from the hallway across the room. "What happened back there?"

"Why? Tired of saving me all the time?" Kass returned as she carefully settled back into a sitting position.

"It is a little tiring," he replied as he sat on the other end of the couch.

Kass felt the smile fade from her lips and she raked a hand through her now tangled hair. "I'm not really sure what happened back there, but it had to be from lack of sleep." There was no way she was going to tell him that she was having a weird episode of hearing people's thoughts in her head. It was strange enough that she could see the future; something she wasn't planning on doing that either.

"How was it that you were able to find me again?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I was just out for a walk, minding my own business when I saw you standing there, looking lost. The next thing I knew you were falling down."

Kassandra shook her head and smiled at him as she extended her hand towards him. "I guess we never really officially introduced ourselves. I'm Kassandra Erikson. I work at that little diner I was coming out of and apparently I need saving more than I care to admit."

He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "Loki Laufeyson."

She blushed slightly as she pulled her hand back. "What, you're not going to tell me what you do for a living?"

"I come from a very wealthy family. I don't need to work."

"That must be nice," she mumbled and looked away. "What are they like?"

"I was adopted but they had a son already, one who was younger than me." He regretted telling her that as soon as it left his lips, yet it felt even stranger not to have shared that with her. He cleared his throat and leaned forward. "My family and I are estranged. I would prefer not to talk about them. I would much rather hear about yours."

"There's not much to tell," she stated. "I don't really remember my past. I could possibly have parents, but I don't know for sure."

"How do you not know your past?"

She shrugged. "I woke up in a hospital and couldn't remember who I was or how I got there. It was about six years ago. I was frightened so I ran. I made up my name when this girl offered me some food and a warm place to stay. Her mother was a doctor and agreed to let me stay there. We've been inseparable ever since." She reached down to play with the pendant around her neck that she hadn't taken off since the night before. It was the only thing aside from the hospital gown that she had been wearing the night she woke up.

"That must be frustrating to not know who you are."

She turned to look at him then. "Does anyone really know who they are?" Loki stared back at her. Normally he would answer her without a doubt, but since he had met her, he could already feel himself changing. She saved him from answering as she changed the subject. "You wouldn't happen to have managed to bring my purse with you?"

He gestured towards the kitchen behind her. She turned and saw her bag on the counter. Slowly, she pushed her way up and made her way to her bag. She pulled out her phone only to discover the battery was nearly dead. "Figures," she said as it died upon trying to text Tegan not to worry.

"Something wrong?" Loki asked from beside her.

"I was just going to text my roommate and tell her I'll be home soon and that I'm fine, but my phone died."

"Does she often worry about you?"

Kass shook her head and placed her phone back in her bag. "No, but I've usually always come home after work." She shrugged and turned to lean her back against the counter. "It doesn't matter too much. Her shift at the bar usually starts late anyway. She probably won't know I'm gone."

"I can take you back if you'd like," he offered as he moved to stand in front of her.

She gave a slight nod. "I would like that," she said as her hands reached out to rest on his chest. Slowly, she let them slide up until they touched the collar of his shirt. "Later," she added.

That was all the invitation he needed.

Her fingers curled around the material of his shirt as they had the night before. He took a step forward, shoving her closer to the counter. His hands went to her waist where his fingers dug in as a way to keep her there. His lips descended on hers with a fury and Kass hissed as her lips parted to accept him. Her fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt before pushing it away from his body. As he pulled his arms from them, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and removed it completely.

His lips caught hers again and as his hands rested on her hips, they dug in and lifted her up onto the counter. Immediately, her legs wrapped around his waist, drawing him in even closer. She moaned softly as she felt his arousal hit her core. Her hands moved from his shoulders to the back of his head, her fingers diving into his dark hair. Her head tipped back as his lips began to make their way down the side of her throat. The faint scrape of his teeth gave her the chills, but turned her on even more.

Loki's hands tugged at the top of her jeans until he had them sliding down her legs along with her underwear. She leaned forward again so that she could reach down between their bodies and slide a hand down the front of his slacks. She shuddered again as she felt his breath catch against her neck. Her hand wrapped around him and they both seemed to hiss in unison.

Loki's eyes closed for a second as she began to stroke him, but she wasn't able to continue her ministrations for long before he stepped back slightly to finish undressing himself. He grabbed her hips and pulled her to the edge of the counter before reaching down to position himself at her entrance. Kass reached up to cup his face with one hand as her other hand slid down to rest on top of his. As her lips closed over his, she helped guide him into her body until he was buried deep within her walls. They were still for a moment as they both adjusted, but Kass moved her hips, begging him to continue.

Her hands went to his shoulders to brace herself as his went to the edge of the counter. With each thrust he gained speed and felt himself slipping away. Her moans became louder and their kisses more intense. Unable to hold it in, Kass' head fell back and her nails dug into his skin hard enough to draw some blood. Loki smirked at the way she looked as he continued to dive in and out of her body. His eyes fluttered as he sensed that he was close.

And then it happened. They both continued moving their hips as they came together from their encounter. When they both began to calm down, Kass tipped her head forward again and smiled shyly.

"I like your kitchen," she mumbled as her forehead rested against his.

His blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she felt an arm loop around her waist. "You should see the bedroom," he replied in a husky voice and whisked her down the hall before she could protest.


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: it was brought to my attention by yasmin that I messed up in Ch6 :( I couldn't for the life of me remember who was younger/older as far as Loki/Thor were concerned. Thor is older. I had it written that way, but oh well, guess I changed it at some point. Thanks!**

SEVEN

Kass opened her eyes to the warm sensation of fingers tracing her skin. She smiled at the sight of Loki across from her. "Good morning?" she questioned, her eyes darting around the room to see if there was any trace of sunlight.

"Something like that I believe."

The feel of his touch made her very aware of the fact that they were both still naked. A sheet was draped over her in places, but it didn't do anything. "I think I should get going now."

"You're more than welcome to stay if you'd like," he offered.

Kass smiled again and moved forward to place her lips against his briefly. "Another time."

"Another time," he repeated and watched as she got up to gather her things. He admired the way she tried to act casual even though he could tell she was rushing to get her clothes back on. Humans and their modesty intrigued him. "Would you like company on your ride back?"

She paused putting on her bra and turned to smile at him over her shoulder. "You know what, yeah. I would like that. Thank you," she said and continued getting dressed.

* * *

Fury paced the meeting room as his guests watched his every move. "We need to discuss the extraction."

"I believe immediate extraction would be useless," Thor said.

"I agree," Breyanna stated before Fury could argue. "I would like to talk to the woman of my visions before removing her from her home."

"And just what do you plan on telling her exactly?" he asked.

"She needs to know of her heritage. Her powers are beginning to manifest and I intend to help her discover them before they get out of hand. She is a princess and needs to be made aware of it as soon as possible."

"We cannot afford lengthy meetings," Fury insisted. "The longer we hold off on making a move, the longer Loki has to sniff out that we're up to something. One mention of Breyanna's appearance and Loki will vanish. He knows when mischief is upon him."

"I only ask for the time I need. Nothing more, nothing less," Breyanna said, her voice stern to convey that she would not take no as an answer.

Fury stared at her, his eyes spewing anger, but eventually nodded. "Do we even have a location?"

"I am not familiar with your locations on Midgard. I do not know how to accurately convey a location for you."

"On Asgard we have a way of presenting visions of the mind to one another. Do you have any technology that would allow us to do something like that?" Thor asked, looking around the room.

"I think Stark could figure something out for us," Fury said, looking at the man in the chair who appeared not to be listening.

"Oh he will, will he?"

"Stark-"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving at Rogers. "I'll figure something out."

* * *

_The room was filled with light casting bright shadows and rainbow prisms all around. She turned to greet the man that entered, smiling widely as Loki filled her vision. "You look dashing with that crown above your head."_

_ "It will look even better when you wear the matching one."_

_ "You flatter me," he said, his voice tight, his smile fading as he took her head and pressed his lips to it._

_ "I meant what I said, Loki. I wish for nothing more than to have you rule by my side."_

_ He reached up to touch the side of her face. As the pad of his thumb gently stroked her cheek, he said, "It is your throne to claim, Sigyn, not mine."_

_ "A queen is free to choose her king; even if that king is mischievous by nature."_

_ He pulled her to him and placed a passionate kiss upon her lips. When they broke apart, he led her to the standing mirror at the other side of the room. He stood behind her, his arms winding around her waist. "I will stand behind you if that is your wish, but as I said, it is your throne, Sigyn."_

_ Her eyes went to the mirror and surprise washed over her at the sight that filled her vision._

The sound of someone knocking pulled her violently from the vision, so much so that she turned her head to the side and retched, barely missing the bed. "Kass? You okay?" came Tegan's voice from outside the door.

"No. What do you want?" Kass called, wiping at her mouth.

Tegan opened the door anyway and looked at her friend with surprise and concern. "What the hell? I've been knocking for like ten minutes. You scared me. I was starting to think you vanished again." She stopped as she noticed the pile of vomit on the floor. "Kass?"

"I'm fine, you just woke me up from a vision. I don't think it was supposed to end where it did."

"I'm so sorry," she said and offered a small smile. "I'll clean it; don't move," she ordered and went about the apartment for supplies.

Kass leaned back and closed her eyes as she thought about the most recent vision. Loki had been in it again, but this time he had used a different name. It had been her in the mirror and she had known it was her throughout the vision, but that name...she had never heard someone call her that before. Had she? She shuddered slightly. "Sigyn," she whispered. How could something so absurd and foreign sound so right?

When Tegan came back in, she stared at Kass, pulling her from her thoughts. "But seriously, though. Where were you?"

"I met someone," she replied, shifting her focus.

"Excuse me?"

"The one that saved me a few nights ago. I ran into him at the show and we hit it off. I ran into him again last night on my way home and I went back to his place," she said, trying to seem casual even though she was a nervous wreck inside. "My phone was dead and I fell asleep for a little bit. He dropped me off not long ago, but you were still at work."

"Seriously? Details. Now," she demanded, smiling from ear to ear at the prospect that her friend had some juicy details to dispense.

Kass wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but she knew Tegan wouldn't let her, not after dropping this on her. "Fine, but let's finish cleaning this first," she said. "Then I'll tell you everything."

* * *

Loki smirked from his position on the couch. "No need to lurk, Amora."

The sorceress stepped out of the shadows, the after effects of her spell swirling around her. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting," he replied. "I thought that was rather obvious."

"You know what I mean." She looked around the room before settling her gaze back on him. "You are distracting yourself. Have you even gone to see Anikka yet?"

"She gave me the price of my freedom."

"And?"

"And I'm searching for it."

"I'm sure," Amora scoffed, folding her arms across her chest.

Loki tipped his head to the side and used his powers to appear before her. "I may be a fugitive, but I am still your leader. You may want to consider that the next time you dare question me."

She looked down. "My apologies."

He took a half step back. "Any progress on your end?"

"Skurge is having better luck than I am."

"Then why so quick to lecture me?"

Amora looked at him with defiance. "Because Thor is here on Midgard. He arrived not long ago and he brought someone with him."

"Who?"

"They say she is Vanir."

"A seer," Loki mused and began to pace. "I assume they met with Fury and his team of heroes."

"Fury?" Amora questioned.

Loki shook his head. "You're better off not knowing. You should continue your search and I would advise not returning until you have something."

"Loki-"

"Go," he demanded.

Amora inclined her head, but Loki knew she was angry. "As you wish," she spat and disappeared.

As soon as the last remnants of her spell had gone, Loki made the decision to go see Anikka again. He wanted to give her an update without revealing anything. At first, his plan had been to bring Kassandra in the next time he saw her. However, that plan went out the window the exact moment he saw her again. There was something about her that kept him from handing her over and after their last encounter, it was going to take some convincing to do just that. He needed Anikka to give more information. If she wanted this girl, she was going to have to tell him why.

It didn't take long to find Anikka's little hideout the second time around, especially since he used his own magic. He entered the building without hesitation, just as he had the first time. Anikka was sitting behind a desk, her eyes glued to the monitor in front of her. "Mr. Laufeyson. I did not expect to see you so soon."

"What is so special about this human?" he asked, not bothering to respond with pleasantries.

"I told you once that it was none of your business."

"And I heard you, but if you want me to bring her to you, I demand to know more. For instance, what will happen to her once you have her?"

Anikka stared at him for a moment before her lips curved into a dangerous smile. "You found her."

Loki's face remained unchanged at the accusation. "Answer my questions."

"You found her and you are starting to fall for her," Anikka stated, her voice flat and unamused. She rolled her eyes again. "She is wanted by some powerful people and she is the reason I am where I am today. The people that want her will be able to break the bonds that hold me and I will be free to use my true power once that happens."

"So they'll kill her."

"Just as you killed hundreds a week before. She is just one life in this universe." She stood up and came around the counter to stop right before him. "You agreed to this bargain and I do not look kindly upon those that disappoint. With or without my true power, I am stronger and deadlier than you can imagine. Do I make myself clear?"

Loki stared at her, but inclined his head slowly. "Crystal," he replied before taking his leave.


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: in answer to a question posed from ch7: This story immediately follows The Avengers. As far as this story is concerned, Thor 2: The Dark World did/is not happening. However, I am taking certain aspects of Thor 2 and twisting them for this story. Basically this is my version of Thor 2, just a lot less hero and much more villain :)**

EIGHT

Kass was going stir crazy at her apartment. She had the day off, but Tegan was at work. She thought about contacting Loki, but quickly realized she never got a number from him nor had she given him hers. She considered going to see him, but at the same time, she needed a day to herself. It was after she settled on a bowl of cereal and whatever talk show was on that she heard a knock at the door.

She bolted for it and looked out the peep hole. There was a short woman with sharp features and wide brown eyes staring back at her. The way she held herself seemed incredibly well mannered so Kass opened the door. "Hi. Can I help you?"

The girl's eyes turned glassy with unshed tears as she stared at Kass with awe and surprise. "Kassandra Erikson?"

Kass nodded. "That's me."

"My name is Breyanna. I work for SHIELD and I would very much like to talk to you."

"SHIELD?" Kass questioned. "I don't-"

Breyanna glanced around the hallway nervously before regaining her posture. "I think it would be better if you would invite me in so that we may speak freely."

Kass considered it for a moment and then stepped aside, gesturing Breyanna forward. "Please, come in," she said. "Can I get you some water?"

"Water would be most welcomed, thank you," Breyanna stated as Kass shut the door behind her.

"Alright, well, make yourself at home; have a seat. I'll be right back with your water," she said and darted for the kitchen. Kass watched Breyanna perch regally on the edge of a chair, her posture perfectly straight even down to her hands folded in her lap. There was something about her that made Kass want to run away as fast as possible. Sure, she had seen enough movies where the petite, cute girls were the deadliest, but she was too curious to listen to her instinct to run.

"Thank you," Breyanna said as she accepted the glass.

"Welcome," Kass replied as she sat on the couch across from Breyanna. "So...What the hell is SHIELD?"

"SHIELD is a government agency who is filled with people like us," she said. Kass couldn't help but hear something in her voice that gave the impression that she had rehearsed that sentence. However, she kept it to herself and listened to what else she had to say. "There are special people all over the world and SHIELD helps give us a purpose. They train us and help hone our abilities to their true potential. Some of us fight those that would destroy our world and the other, like myself, we search for those that have not been found and bring them in."

"How did you find me?" Kass asked. She had always wanted to know how to find someone like her, but didn't have the slightest idea of where to start.

"I can see the future. Except, through practice, I was able to concentrate on paths that led me to find others that can do the same." She offered a smile, one that Kass noticed, didn't quite reach her eyes. "You can see the future too and I want to be the one to show you how to truly use your gift."

"That's not all I can do," she said before she could stop herself.

"I know. I can show you how to quiet the voices. Among other things."

"And this SHIELD company-"

"Agency," Breyanna corrected.

"Agency," Kass repeated. "They're not really going to try and use me as a weapon or some sort of science experiment, right?"

"Not unless you want them to." She took a sip of her water before starting up from another angle. "Are you aware of what transpired in New York City last week?"

Kass nodded mindlessly. She hadn't really watched the news much, but it was all people could talk about at the diner. "Sort of."

"The planet was under an alien invasion. The man responsible for opening a wormhole is still out there, but his play for enslaving the planet was thwarted by members of SHIELD, a team called the Avengers. Things like this will be more apparent here than ever before and it is SHIELD's mission to be prepared so that no threat is successful."

"Do I have to decide anything right now?"

Breyanna shook her head and after setting the glass on the coffee table between them, got to her feet. "Take some time," she said and reached into her pocket for a business card. "My phone number is on the back, but I would like to come back in a few days to speak to you again, no strings attached."

Kass thought about it and nodded. "I look forward to it," she said and led Breyanna to the door.

"And I believe it goes without saying, but please keep this information to yourself. The less people that know about this, the better."

"Of course," Kass replied and watched as Breyanna left her apartment. Even after she had shut the door, Kass was filled with both unease and excitement, wondering where this could go. With that, she grabbed her jacket and her purse before heading out to go to Loki's apartment.

* * *

Back at SHIELD headquarters, Breyanna sat at the large round table in the conference room with those of the Avengers and Nick Fury sitting with her, waiting for her to debrief them. "Was it her?" Thor asked.

"Yes."

"What did you tell her?" Fury asked.

"Exactly what you told me to. She is intrigued with the idea of SHIELD and she believes I am an agent. I have set up another meeting in a few days."

"Did you mention anything about her past?" Thor asked.

"No, I figured SHIELD would be enough for now. I will bring that up during the second meeting."

"We're running out of time. If she tells Loki that a SHIELD agent came to visit her..." Rogers started.

"Then we're all screwed," Start said from the monitor. "He'll run away like he always does and the only lead we have will be gone."

Breyanna's eyes flickered to Thor for a moment and watched as he shifted uncomfortably. "I cannot speak for whether or not she will tell, but we have to trust that she will keep silent. One or two more meetings and then she will be ready for extraction."

Fury looked around the room before resting his gaze back on her. "We will be monitoring her closely. If she so much as breathes wrong we will move in and take her anyway. Understood?"

"Understood," Breyanna said and leaned back in her seat as the rest of them debated what to do next.

* * *

Loki was staring at the television, watching the news yet again. There was a few interesting things going on in the world around him, but it seemed that all anyone wanted to talk about was his failed takeover attempt from the week before. Welcome for the distraction, he turned the device off as he heard a knock on his door. He was relieved to see Kass standing there, all smiles. "Hello."

"I hope it's okay that I stopped by."

He stepped aside to let her in. "Why would it not be?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It's been a few days..." she let her voice trail off as her eyes sought out the kitchen counter and blushed.

"Two," he responded, enjoying the look on her face as she turned her face to meet his gaze. "Two very long days."

He waited until she was at the back of the couch to move forward and wrap his arms around her from behind. Kass sighed deeply and relaxed into him, placing her hands on his arms. She tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes as his lips fell into the curve of her neck. The sensation drove her crazy and her head tilted back slightly. "I realized we never exchanged phone numbers."

He slowly kissed his way up the column of her throat. "I don't have a phone. I prefer to arrange meetings the old fashioned way," he replied softly before taking her earlobe between his teeth, eliciting a brief moan from her.

Whatever clever thing that she would have normally said died in her throat as she felt his hands slide down her body. He kept kiss her neck while his hands brought her skirt up to her waist. They then pushed the material of her underwear down enough to expose her lower half. She could feel his arousal through his slacks and shivered as his fingers touched her where she craved him the most. His middle finger slid effortlessly into her folds and then paused. "Don't stop," she begged.

"I want you," he whispered lazily, his breath tickling her skin. He used his other hand to steady her hips as he pushed himself more flush to her; to show her just how much he wanted her. His thumb slowly began circling her bundle of sensitive nerves between her legs.

"Then take me," she demanded.

No sooner had that left her mouth did she find herself being pushed forward. Her fingers dug into the cushions on the couch as she heard a zipper being undone. She bit her lip as she waited the few seconds it took for him to enter her from behind. She groaned as he filled her and widened her stance to accept more of him. She felt his hands on her hips as he pulled back only to slam into her again. Each thrust was rougher and deeper than the last. Kass' head arched back as he picked up speed and she met him with backwards thrusts of her own.

"Harder," she hissed.

Loki smirked from her order and obliged. He could feel her walls constricting around him, drawing him in. He shuddered as pleasure flooded his senses. His need to dominate rose with each thrust; each hiss, moan, and groan that escaped her luscious pink lips. He tightened his grip on her hips and continued, knowing they were both nearing their climaxes.

Kass could feel her body aching with release and something else. As she came closer and closer to the edge it became harder and harder to control herself. Loki's hand moved to her ass and something changed. She could not only feel Loki buried within her body, but she could _feel_ what it felt like to _be _Loki buried within her body. She could tell that he experienced the change as well, but it only made everything that much more pleasurable. Neither one of them had time to dwell on the new sensation as they went tumbling over the edge together. Loki kept going until they came down from their highs.

As they gathered their wits about them, he turned her around to face him and placed a searing kiss upon her lips. "What was that?" he asked as they sank to the floor behind the couch.

"I think it was me," she breathed as she laid on his arm.

She looked up to see his face try and process what she was saying. She was still trying to process it herself. "How-"

She moved so that she was straddling his waist. She looked down at him, her palms resting against his still clothed chest, her hair spilling over her shoulders. "Let's not think about it right now. Instead, let's try to do it again." He smiled hungrily at her as she reached between their bodies and settled herself on top of him again.

He surged forward to capture her lips, a hand cupping her face. "I couldn't agree more."


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

_"Leave us," a booming voice commanded._

_ Dozens of men exited the room, leaving the woman they had brought in alone with the man on the throne. "Odin," she said, her voice soft yet terse._

_ "What can I do for you, Sigyn?"_

_ "I need your help, Allfather. The Aesir are taking over Vanaheim. They have already executed my family. Had I not escaped they would have killed me too. Without my death they cannot truly rule the Vanir; they will still come after me. I am here asking for aide."_

_ The man in the golden robes stared at her, his hard glare never wavering. "I cannot help you."_

_ The woman swayed on her feet. "What do you mean you cannot help?"_

_ "The Aesir and the Vanir have a feud that is older than I. The battle has not been brought to my people and I am in no position to enter another war. I just ended one with the Frost Giants."_

_ "You are the sworn protector of the nine realms!" she hissed._

_ "I cannot help you," he repeated._

_ She took a few deep breaths in effort to calm herself. "What do I do?"_

_ "You may use the Bifrost. Heimdall will send you wherever you choose."_

_ A sneer took hold of her lips. "So I can live in fear by taking a route easily traced. No thank you."_

_ "You have great power, Sigyn. They won't find you unless you let them."_

_ She scoffed and turned a hateful stare in his direction. "You will regret this," she swore. "I'll make sure of it." With that, she turned and took off in a run._

_ "Sigyn!" he called after her, but she was already gone._

_ Sigyn stopped after a long burst through the halls. She did a double take as she saw her reflection. Her eyes stared at her face; dirt was smudged onto her normally creamy skin and her eyes, normally bright and full of life were wide with fright. She continued to stare, memorizing each detail until she noticed a dull blue glow coming from beneath her robes. She pulled the necklace from under the material, clutched it tight, and whispered, "Midgard."_

Kass' vision cleared and the image of her living came back to her sharply. Her body remained perfectly still as she continued to look at the glass floating above the ground in front of her. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she thought about what she had just seen. It had all the same qualities as her visions, but there was something about it that was drastically different. It almost seemed like a memory. That was the third time she had heard herself referenced to as Sigyn. She could no longer ignore the fact that that was probably her real name.

She blinked and stood up, the glass gently settling back down on the coffee table as she walked to her room to retrieve that necklace. She picked it up and let the chain dangle from her fingers as she held it up in the air to inspect it. No matter how long she stared at it, she couldn't tell if the crystal was actually glowing from inside the metal binding or if it was a trick of the light. Just as she thought she saw the light begin to grow, she was interrupted by Tegan calling her name.

"Kass?"

Kass tore her eyes away from the necklace and she heard a crash followed by a small scream from Tegan. She raced to the living room to see Tegan standing by the couch, looking at a pile of broken glass on the rug next to the coffee table. "What happened?" Kass asked.

"I came to see if you were coming to the bar tonight and when I came out of my room, I saw...it."

"Saw what?"

Tegan shook her head, but looked at Kass with awe. "A glass. Floating. In the air."

"Oh," Kass replied.

"Oh?"

Kass gave a slight smile. "So, seeing the future isn't all I can do anymore."

"Since when?"

"Since two days ago. A woman came to talk to me. She said she is like me and visions are only the beginning of what I can do."

"And just when the hell were you gonna tell me?"

"Eventually. Look, she asked me to keep it to myself and I was waiting until I had more to tell you."

Tegan nodded. "Anything else you may have forgotten to mention about you?"

Kass shook her head slightly. "Mind if I bring someone to the bar tonight?"

"It's about time!" Tegan said excitedly and shoved Kass' shoulder playfully.

"It hasn't even been two weeks yet."

"Long enough," Tegan replied and shrugged. "Well, Nate and I were going to do something afterwards if you think you and your guy would like to join, you're more than welcome."

"After?"

"I'm a half day today, I'll be off by nine."

"Ah, yeah, sure, I'll check."

"Cool. See ya tonight."

Kass nodded and looked at the pile of glass to the pendant she still had clutched in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she placed the necklace in her pocket and took out her phone along with the card Breyanna had given her. She dialed and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the message box. "Hi, it's Kassandra Erikson. I'd like to meet tomorrow afternoon at my place," she said and then hung up.

"Who was that?" Tegan asked as she came back, putting her jacket on.

"My new teacher I guess," she replied and waved Tegan goodbye.

* * *

If Loki was at home, he wasn't answering. Kass decided that lurking in the hallway for more than five minutes was not something she wanted to do and began scrounging around for a pen and paper from her purse or somewhere else in the hall. She found both and began to scribble a note to slip under the door. _Hey, sorry I missed you. I'll be at Hype tonight until 9. I would really like it if you could meet me there and possibly do something afterwards with my friends and I._ Kass stared at it and then put her first initial on the bottom before sticking it under the door and making her way out of the building.

She decided to walk instead of taking another cab. Loki seemed to live in a convenient location as he wasn't too far away from anything she was going to do today. It would save her a little bit of money and hassle of tracking down a cab. It was a good way to clear her head from all the memories and visions she had been having lately. She just hoped that the voices would stay out of her head long enough to get somewhere familiar this time.

Kass did a double take as she walked past a storefront with TV displays. They were playing a newscast from CNN and, as usual, they were talking about the events in New York City. Only, this time, there was a sketch in the top corner with the caption _The Man Responsible_ underneath it. The screen was small enough that Kass couldn't see it, but as if they were reading her mind, they enlarged it. It was an artist's rendering of what the man responsible for the actions looked like. Kass blinked and felt her blood turn cold as she stared at the image.

"Scary, isn't it?" came a stranger's voice from beside her.

"I'm sorry?" she replied, turning her head to look at him.

He pointed to the screen behind the glass. "The government isn't telling us everything, that's for sure. They're getting better because there were so many people capturing everything on video. Fine, there are aliens out there, whatever, but to know that one man was responsible for that tragedy is scary. To have a face is even more terrifying."

"This guy..."

"One of the survivors from New York City drew this. She said his face haunts her dreams and she had to share so that if this guy isn't already caught and paying for his crimes, maybe others can help bring justice."

"Yeah, scary," she agreed and the guy nodded before leaving her alone again. She continued to stare at the drawing, unable to deny that it looked like a dead ringer for Loki. She raised a hand to the glass and whispered, "Who are you?"

* * *

"Who the hell doesn't have a phone?" Tegan asked as she served Kass another shot of tequila.

"Him, apparently."

"What did you do, slip a note under the door?" Tegan teased, but saw the look on her friend's face as she lifted the glass to her lips. "Oh Kassi, really?"

Kass cringed. "Don't call me that. It makes me feel like I'm twelve." She put the glass on the counter, but waved Tegan off as she went to pour another. "Where is Nate anyway?"

"He'll be here at nine. He was doing something with his sister." Tegan watched as a new couple sat down at the opposite end of the bar. "I'll be back," she replied and went to help them.

Kass nodded and began playing with the empty shot glass. A slow smile spread across her face and she glanced around nervously. When she thought no one was looking, she placed her hands in lap and concentrated. Slowly, the glass began to drift along the counter top as though someone was pushing it, except nothing was touching it; just her mind.

"That's a neat little trick," came a husky voice in her ear.

Her body shuddered and her eyes fluttered, breaking her connection. "You got my message," she breathed, trying to hold herself together.

She turned in her seat to see him and he leaned in to place his lips over hers. His hand cupped her face and it was all she could do not to reach up and pull her to him forcefully. Instead, she closed her eyes and gave in to the sweet, tender kiss that he delivered.

They were interrupted by Tegan clearing her throat. Kass looked down and then at her friend with a shy smile and bright red cheeks. "Hi," Tegan said looking from one to the other.

"Tegan, this is Loki. Loki, this is my best and friend and roommate, Tegan."

Tegan extended a hand to which Loki took and brought to his lips. "Nice to meet you. I have heard so much about you."

Tegan blushed slightly and pulled her hand back gently. "Likewise. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Two tequila shots," Kass ordered and Tegan nodded, going to the other end of the bar to give them a moment alone. "Thanks for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me," he said, taking a seat. Kass couldn't tear her eyes away from him, unable to stop comparing his face to the sketch she had seen on TV. "Kass?" he asked, his voice drawing her from her thoughts.

She shook her head and smiled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

Loki opened his mouth to say something, but they were interrupted by Nate as he threw an arm over Kass' shoulders, earning a glare of distaste from Loki. Nate caught the look immediately and stepped back. "Hi, I'm Nate, Tegan's friend," he said, putting his hand out for Loki to shake.

Loki took his hand and tightened his grip enough to show that he was the dominate one. "Loki," he replied.

"My...friend," Kass stated, but her tone more of a question rather than a statement.

Nate's lips twitched. "Anyway, you guys ready for an awesome night?"

"Depends, are we going to another one of your shows?" Kass quipped.

He made a face at her. "Ha. No. But a buddy of mine is playing at a club opening downtown. He got us in if you guys are down."

"Sounds like fun," Kass said and looked at Loki. "What do you think?"

"It could be fun."

"Alright guys," Tegan said, coming back with four shot glasses. "Drink up and let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

Anikka looked up as the front door to her office creaked open. A sly smile graced her lips as she saw her guests enter the room. "Gentlemen," she greeted as they bowed their heads to her.

"My Lady," one of them said. "You sent for us?"

She nodded. "I'm sure you've heard the Asgardians want Loki the War Criminal. He is here and he is tracking something I want. Her name is Sigyn," she said as she approached them. She took their hands in order to share the image of the girl as well as the image of Loki and where they would be. "This is where they will be tonight as I am able to track him, not her."

"Our orders?" the other asked as he put his hand back to the side.

"I want Sigyn brought back to me alive."

"What's in it for us?" the girl asked.

"Anything," Anikka said, truly meaning it.

"And the prince?"

"Bonus for him as well, but he is not important."

"Dead or alive?" the man asked.

Anikka took a deep breath. Annoyed as she was, she was glad they were trying to be thorough. "It doesn't matter, but he will kill you if you don't kill him first. Do not disappoint me," she demanded and watched as the man and woman nodded before taking their leave to complete their task.

Anikka closed her eye and smiled; freedom was within her reach.


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

Kass looked up at the building they were going into as they stood in the VIP line out front. It was a club alright, but not their usual music scene. This bar catered to the college kids who were barely legal to get out and have a good time. Granted, she wasn't much older than the target crowd, but she had never actually been in a club like this before. "You seem nervous," Loki said before beside her.

"I've never been in something like this before."

"Neither have I," he replied and Kass took comfort in that.

"Makes sense. You don't strike me as the type for this scene."

Loki could hear the beat coming from inside the building and offered a small smile. "I assure you that is correct."

"We don't have to go in."

"We do, but we don't have to stay," he replied and winked at her.

"Deal."

At that, Tegan and Nate appeared. They had been talking to the bouncer to make sure that Nate was on the list. "Ready?" Tegan asked.

"Sure," Kass replied and followed her friend and Nate.

Loki reached for her hand so that they would not get separated in the crowd. For not having yet opened its doors, the place was already crowded. He stopped when Kass stopped and heard Tegan yell over the music. "We're gonna try to get to the front! You coming?"

Kass shook her head. "We're not going to stay long so we'll be back here!" she shouted back.

Tegan nodded, but Loki saw the disappointment on her face. "Nice meeting you!" she yelled to Loki before disappearing in the crowd with Nate.

Kass turned to Loki and nodded in the direction of the bar. They managed to order their drinks by the end of the first song and then slipped back through the crowd until they managed to find an empty table by the back of the club. Unable to really talk, the sipped at their drinks. Loki was fascinated with all the people crammed so close together that he didn't notice Kass staring at him again. Having finished her drink, Kass slid off of her seat slowly and moved to stand in front of Loki. He stared up at her as she reached for one of his hands before leading him into a darkened corner right next to a side exit.

A smirk touched his lips as she pushed him flat against the wall and reached up to draw his lips down to hers. As their mouths moved in unison, he felt her free hand traveling south. She undid the fly of his slacks and let her hand travel behind the material until her fingers were able to wrap around him. He hissed into their kiss and let one hand grip at the wall as she stoked him, the other going to her face to keep himself steady.

Her grip tightened and her speed increased slightly, causing his entire body to spasm. He leaned forward to bury his face in her neck, allowing his shallowing breaths to heat her skin. Her lips rested near his ear and she whispered, "Come for me."

Loki's body jerked and she used the newly created wetness to intensify her ministrations. As if she hadn't surprised him enough already, she pulled away for a split second and Loki realized she hadn't disappeared, she had sank down before him. He groaned at the sight and thought about the stint in Germany where he demanded everyone kneel before him. This was much better.

His head hit the wall behind him as she took him into her mouth, her tongue working expertly in cohesion with her hands. His eyes opened slightly to see if anyone was watching, but no one seemed to be concerned with what was going on in a dark corner at the back of the club. Not even the security guard less than a foot away. Loki smirked and jerked as he felt himself ready to explode. He thought she was going to come back up and let him finish in her hand, but he quickly realized that was not the case. That thought alone sent him over the edge and he came in her mouth, reveling in the way she continued to tease him until there was nothing left.

He drew her back up and stared at her as she smirked and licked her lips. He leaned in and kissed her with full force. When he stopped, he put his lips next to ear and said, "Let's get out of here."

She nodded and waited for him to redress before following him outside of the exit they had been standing beside. Once the door had shut, Loki turned and pinned Kass between the wall and his still aroused form. She reached up to let her fingers tangle in his hair as his lips descended on hers roughly. They both knew there was no way they would be able to make it until they got back to his place.

Loki's hand slid up her thigh to pull down the flimsy garment she wore beneath her skirt only to be greeted by a pool of wetness. She moaned into the kiss as two of his fingers slipped inside her body, his thumb toying with her clit. More aroused than she had ever been, she was sure it would take little to no effort for her to come. His other hand went to cup her breast and she closed her eyes from the sensation overload her body was experiencing.

She felt Loki pull away and thought he was going to go down on her to reciprocate what she had done, but the sight she opened her eyes to told her the moment was over. Loki was still standing in front of her, but his hands were on his side and there was a look of pain on his face. Kass stared at him in confusion, but haze of her mind cleared as she realized his fingers and clothes were covered in blood. "Loki?" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she pushed herself away from the wall.

"Run," he demanded, his voice deadly.

She shook her head, but cried out as something whistled between them, forcing Loki to shove her out of the way at the last moment. Kass stumbled, but turned to look down the alley to a man and woman standing there with weapons in their hands, weapons aimed right at her and Loki. He moved to stand in front of her and she got a sense of raw power.

"Back down, Prince. We only want her," the man stated.

"You'll have to kill me to take her."

"Done," the woman said and shot at them again. This time, the weapon hit Loki square in the chest, causing him to stagger to his knees.

Kass moved away to hide behind a corner, but stared in horror at the deadly smirk that covered Loki's face. "Better men than you have tried to kill me. If Thor cannot do it, what makes you think you can best me?" he taunted before getting back up.

"Thor is a pompous ass," the woman stated.

"No argument there," Loki agreed before he rushed them.

The pair split up, but Loki was able to take the man down in a tackle. As they fought, Kass noticed the woman moving towards her. Kass backed up even though it was a dead end in the ally, only stopping as the girl grabbed her from behind and put a knife to her throat. "Don't worry, Sigyn. I'm not going to kill you. Not yet."

"Does everyone know my name but me?" she questioned as she struggled against her captor. As she watched Loki get struck down, she stomped down on the woman's foot and elbowed her in the ribs to break free. "Loki!" she bellowed, but he wasn't moving as the man delivered another kick.

He turned and stared as the woman rammed a dagger into Kass' side, preventing her from running. As she staggered to her knees, she saw the woman circling her and the man approaching from the entrance of the ally. She closed her eyes as the world began to spin and something inside her stirred.

Loki managed to turn his head to watch the scene unfold. Kass was bleeding, but he sensed it in the air as something changed. Kass' eyes opened and instead of being their normal color, they were as blue as the Teseract; no white, just blue and they were glowing. He watched as she got to her feet and lifted her hands, the bounty hunting pair being lifted off their feet at the same time. He pushed himself up, but stayed where he was as he watched the scene unfold.

"You should know better than to mess with Sigyn and you can tell Anikka she'll have to do better," Kass said, her voice resonating in the walls of the ally.

The pair began to clutch their heads as whatever Kass was doing seemed to hurt them internally. And then, all of the sudden, it stopped. The man and woman fell unconscious to the pavement and Kass fell back as well, her head bouncing the blue glow disappearing as her eyes closed. Loki surged forward and gathered her up in his arms. He gave one last look at the bounty hunters before using his magic to take Kass back to his place to deal with the aftermath.


	11. Chapter 11

ELEVEN

Loki carried Kass to his bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. He made sure her head was resting on the pillow before moving down to remove her shoes. He then sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at her. One of his hands went to smooth the hair off of her face and then rested on her cheek. The pad of his thumb swiped over her lips softly as he stared at her. He let his powers wash over her so that he could heal her as he had on their first encounter, when he opened his eyes, all he could see the blue glow of her eyes from the ally and wondered who and what she really was. Was she like him? Stuck on this planet without a way home. Did she escape a bad life or was she a fugitive?

As he continued to stare at her, Loki noticed another dull blue glow coming from underneath her shirt. He reached out for the chain around her throat and slowly brought the pendant out. "A gate key," he whispered, his voice full of shock. His fingers closed the metal keeping the crystal safe. It was a piece of the Bifrost given to the original members of the royal members of the nine realms. "Who are you?" he added as he stared at her face again.

He knew who had the answers and it wasn't the girl in front of him. Loki felt anger bubbling up inside him and placed the necklace down on her chest where it had been before. He then leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead before standing up. However, he didn't get very far; Kass' fingers curled around his wrist. "Don't go," she whispered.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed and turned so that he had an arm on either side of her torso. "How are you?" he asked.

She nodded once. "Thank you. Again."

"For what?"

"For saving me."

He shook his head and reached up to cup her face. "I didn't save you this time. I took you home, but you were the one to save us both."

Kass pushed herself up on her elbows as Loki pulled back so that he wasn't hovering over her. "I don't understand," she said as she slowly eased into a sitting position, her back flat against the headboard.

"That makes two of us."

Kass stared at him, her head tilted to the side. "Are you accusing me of something?"

Loki took a deep breath and shook his head. He hadn't realized the look he had been giving her was such a harsh one. "No," he said softly. "What do you remember?"

Kass swallowed thickly as she let the memory wash over her. Loki watched as she panicked trying to remember and reached for her hand. "We were in the ally and my eyes closed. When I opened them again you were bleeding. There was a man and a woman who seemed to know you. You fought, but the girl got me. The man almost killed you and the woman caught me." She shook her head. "Now I'm here."

Loki searched her face for any signs of a lie, but it wasn't there. If she was lying, she was insanely good at it. "Do you know anyone by the name of Anikka?"

Kass mulled it over, but shook her head. "I might," she said, her voice strained. "I mean, I don't remember much from my past. Whatever she wants me for, it's something I don't remember."

Loki watched as tears shed from the corners of her eyes. He moved to stand up and gestured her for her to move over so that he could truly sit by her side. He put his legs out in front of him and his back against the headboard so that he could gather her in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, glad for the comfort she felt. "You're safe here."

"I know," she replied almost immediately. They were silent for a long while after that, just enjoying each other's arms around one another. Loki's cheek rested a top her hair and his fingers stroked her side absentmindedly to offer some comfort. When Kass trusted herself not to sound as though she was still crying, she asked, "Where were you going to go?"

"To investigate."

"Shouldn't we just call the police?"

She felt the rumble of laughter flow through him at her suggestion and she tilted her head up to see him shake his head. "No. The police cannot help with this one."

She said nothing as she settled back into her earlier position. "They called you Prince."

Loki tensed beside her and Kass' curiosity grew almost instantly. "You should get some rest."

Kass decided to let it go. It would do no good to pry, not now. "Only if you promise not to leave."

"I promise," he replied and tightened his grip around her waist.

Unable to hold her consciousness any longer, Kass closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep. When Loki was sure that she was in a deep sleep, he slowly slipped out of her grasp and rearranged her on the bed. He pulled a sheet over her just in case and watched as she turned her back to him to curl up in her sleep. He stared at her for another second before breaking his promise and leaving the room. He paused in the living room as he debated what to do. He could either go to Anikka and try to get answers or he could go back to the club and see what was left of the wreckage. Not in the mood for mind games, the chose the latter and vanished from his apartment.

* * *

_"Look at you," she said as she rounded the corner to see the person behind bars. A smirk took hold of her lips as she wrapped her fingers around the sold iron bars. "The most powerful Aesirian sorceress, trapped in a cage because a Vanir put her there."_

_ "I will kill you, Princess."_

_ "So powerful, yet so easy to catch," she continued as though she hadn't heard the criminal._

_ "I am only the beginning. If you're going to kill me I suggest you do it now. They _will_ come for me and they _will_ set me free. Then I'll be free to kill you."_

_ The girl smiled cruelly and opened the door to the cell. It was then that the woman inside noticed what the princess was carrying. She had a brutal looking dagger at her side and when she noticed the petrified stare of the criminal, she laughed. "Ah, so you do know what this is," she stated._

_ "Please."_

_ "Oh, now you want me to kill you," she said with a tsk. "You wish."_

_ With that she surged forward and grabbed hold of the woman's arm. She pulled it forward and slashed down with her free hand, slicing her forearm from the wrist to the elbow. She turned the captive woman's arm upside down so the blood splattered on the ground. She then let go and turned the dagger on her own arm in the same manner. As their blood mixed, the princess stared at the captive with malicious glee._

_ "You won't be able to hurt me. Ever. As of this moment you are hereby banished to the desolate world of the human race. Your powers will be severely limited yet your immortality will remain. My death will release you, but if it is by your hand, you will die too."_

_ "No," she whispered and moved away from the wall that started to crumble behind her. "Sigyn, wait! Please, no!" she continued to yell even as Sigyn shut the cell door and watched the scene unfold in front of her._

_ "Goodbye Anikka," Sigyn said as the wall disintegrated, opening a portal that was sucking at what was in front of it. Anikka grabbed hold of the bars in order to try and save herself, but Sigyn stepped forward and slashed at her fingers with the dagger, forcing her to let go. Screams filled the dungeon, stopping only as Anikka disappeared into the void. Sigyn's smile disappeared as the wall reappeared and everything went quiet and still._

Kass blinked, everything slowly coming back into focus. For a second she didn't realize where she was or how she had got there and she pushed herself up, only to be greeted by a headache. "Careful," Loki demanded as he entered the room with a glass of water.

She took it gratefully after pushing herself into a sitting position again, memories of the past few hours coming back to her. "You left anyway," she stated as she handed him the now empty glass. She was willing to talk about anything as long as it took her thoughts away from her dream that, again, seemed more like a memory than a vision.

"Yes."

While she appreciated that he didn't lie to her or hesitate, she was still somewhat angry. "You promised."

"I-"

She waved at him and untangled herself from the sheets slowly before swinging her legs of the side of the bed. "If we're gonna argue or talk about anything serious, then I need coffee."

Loki nodded and extended a hand for her to take. She accepted and let him help her up, but refused his help to walk. She took it easy and made her way to the kitchen to scrounge around for the coffee. "I can-"

"Look, no offense, but I still don't know where you're from, but with that accent I'm guessing it's from somewhere that prefers tea and I _really _need coffee," she said and moved around him, but not before she saw the slight smirk.

"Fair enough," he muttered and watched as she found what she was searching for. It seemed as though the previous tenant to this place liked coffee as well.

Loki instead leaned back against the counter and waited for her to be ready. "Do you want a cup?" she asked.

"No thank you," he declined. She nodded and went back to what she was doing. When it started to brew, she turned around and stared at him. "Can we talk now?"

"Where did you go?"

"I went back to the club."

"Why?"

"I wanted to see if the pair that attacked us was still there."

She nodded. "To do what?"

"To get some answers," he said and then decided to be completely honest. "And then to kill them if they weren't already dead."

Kass swallowed hard and then cleared her throat. "And?"

"They were there," he started, watching her closely to gage her reaction. "But they were already dead."

Kass' eyes closed as the memory of the previous night hit her like a train. It felt like a weird out of body experience. She could barely make out Loki in the background watching as she stood. She had reached out with her powers and lifted the two killers up. She said something, but she was damned if she knew what. She remembered groans of agony and then it all stopped. Her eyes opened and a few tears made their way down her cheeks.

"I killed them."

Loki was amazed at her reaction. She had realized she killed two people and yet she wasn't breaking down. "Yes," he replied curtly.

She took a deep breath and wiped her face with the back of her hand. She nodded, but continued to stand there rigidly. "Should I feel bad?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"No."

Kass felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders at his answer. "They would have taken me to someone who would have done who knows what with me and I had to kill them to survive."

"You don't have to justify yourself, Kass. Not with me," Loki assured her.

"And you would have killed them to keep us safe."

He nodded. "And I would do it again. Does that make us bad people?"

Kass shrugged. "Probably," she muttered and turned towards the coffee pot to pour herself a glass of the hot brown liquid.

Loki stared at her. He knew what was wrong in his life that caused him to snap. He had killed thousands of people in wars and simply because he could, but this was the first time she had killed anyway and she didn't even seem distraught over it. Yet, she couldn't remember her past; neither of them knew as much about her as they would have liked to know.

"So what now?" she asked as she turned around, her lips on the edge of the mug she had found.

"Now we go on about our lives."

"What if this is something from my past? The one I don't remember."

Loki noticed the tremble in her hands and he moved to take the cup from her before she burned herself. "Then we face it together."

Kass nodded and closed her eyes as Loki drew her in. She rested her head on chest as his arms wrapped around her tightly. After she felt herself return back to normal, she remembered the good parts from the night before and pulled back slightly to stare up at him. Loki saw that look in her eyes and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. "We should finish what we started," she whispered into their kiss. Knowing she needed a distraction, Loki wasted no time in agreeing with her by kissing her harder and pushing her back against the counter. It was a distraction they both could use.


	12. Chapter 12

TWELVE

Kass took a moment to collect herself as she approached her door. She knew Tegan was probably up and about and the last thing she wanted to do was give her any extra cause for reason. She rolled her head to the side, squared her shoulders, and undid the lock. Kass stopped short as she saw Tegan and Breyanna sitting on the couch. Tegan was lounging while the guest sat poised on the edge of the cushion like she had last time. "Oh there you are. Breyanna here said you had a meeting today."

"Shit, yes," Kass said and blushed slightly. "Sorry, I completely forgot."

"I can come back-" Breyanna started, but Kass waved at her to sit back down.

"No, no. I just need a minute."

Breyanna inclined her head and readjusted herself. "Excuse us," Tegan said as she followed Kass to her bedroom. "I like this look on you."

"What look?"

"The walk of shame look," Tegan said, a look of knowing in her brown eyes.

Kass groaned and looked down at her clothes, the ones she had been wearing from the night before. She was just glad they were black because there was blood on her side from where she had been stabbed. She shifted uncomfortably as the pleasurably painful reminder of this morning came back to her. "I need a shower."

Tegan couldn't help but laugh and push Kass playfully. "I bet. You guys didn't stick around long at all."

"No."

"It was pretty obvious the two of you wanted to do nothing but tear each other's clothes off when he entered the bar."

"Tegan..."

She raised her hands up and took a step back. "Look, I'm meeting Nate and his sister for lunch so you have fun with that one," she said and pointed towards the living room.

"Thanks," Kass replied and went to her bathroom to do a quick clean up and change her clothes. When she returned she saw Breyanna in her kitchen getting herself a glass of water.

"I hope you don't mind."

Kass shook her head. "No, not at all."

"So you have made a decision then?"

"Not about joining SHIELD, but I do want to know more about myself and what I can do. Strange things have been happening to me, more in recent days than at any other time. I need help."

Breyanna nodded and set her glass down on the bar. "You have visions of the future."

"And I discovered recently that I can move things with my mind. I read minds once or twice too, but both times were too much."

She nodded. "That is common. I can teach you how to filter that ability, to shut out the voices unless you are searching for a connection to one in particular."

There was something in her tone that had the hairs on the back of Kass' neck standing up. She always knew there was something she didn't trust about this girl, but today it was intense. She quickly shrugged it off as an after effect of emotions for the night before. "I feel like I should tell you more about me."

Breyanna inclined her head. "What would you like me to know?"

"Six, almost seven years ago, I woke up in a hospital. That's my earliest memory. I had no idea what my name was so I picked one and went with it. I still don't know my name."

"Your name is Sigyn."

She nodded. "I've gathered that much. But that's it. That's all I know about my true past, but in the last few weeks my visions are starting to feel like memories. Memories that frighten me."

Breyanna was silent a moment and then reached out to touch Kass' forearm. "I thank you for that revelation. There is something that I would like to share about myself as well."

"Okay," Kass said, wondering what was about to be revealed.

"My name is Breyanna, but I do not work for SHIELD. It is a true agency here on Midgard and it does exactly what I said it does, but I am not of this world."

"Midgard?"

"Midgard, one of the Nine Realms; the human planet. I am from a planet called Vanaheim," she said and smiled widely, tears shining in her eyes again. "The same planet you are from."

Kass took a half step back. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Your name is Sigyn and you are from the planet Vanaheim. You are the original heir to the throne of the Vanir and I have come to take you home where you belong. For a thousand years your throne has been overcome with impostors. Our planet is falling apart and we need you. You escaped to Midgard when Vanaheim was being attacked a thousand years ago and now it is safe for you to return."

Kass backed up until she hit the back of the couch. "No, no. That's crazy."

"You have been here so long, living in fear, that your powers have been dormant. I assume you went in and out of lives and aliases as time went by, constantly on the move. It's time to return, that's why your powers and your memories are returning."

"Get out," she demanded.

Breyanna sighed heavily, but inclined her head. "I will be back in a day or two after you have had time to process this." With that, she took her leave and Kass continued to stare at the door long after she was gone.

* * *

Loki stormed into Anikka's building. He didn't hesitate to walk up and grab her by the throat, lifting her off her feet in the process. "Why did you send bounty hunters after her?"

"If you had simply handed her over I wouldn't have had to," she hissed, but made no attempt to break free.

Her lack of struggle made Loki angry. He let her go, forcefully shoving her into the seat he had picked her up from. "I told you I would bring her to you."

"And I stopped believing that was true. You've had over two weeks to turn her in and be on your way with your freedom, yet here you are, still a fugitive."

"I gave you no word, signed no contract-"

"I don't take kindly to people going back on what they say. You might not have gave me your word, but there was an understanding there." She rolled her eyes and rubbed at her throat. "Amora told me you would have me free in a matter of days, not weeks."

Loki's face darkened. "I thought you haven't spoken to Amora in decades?"

"I must have lied," she said in a dead pan voice. She stared at Loki and straightened herself in her chair. "You have twenty four hours, Mr. Laufeyson."

"Or what?"

"Or you'll find out. If you don't bring Sigyn to me, I'll be forced to do whatever it takes to get her."

"You can try," Loki warned before storming out in the same manner he stormed in.

* * *

Kass stopped in the hallway as she heard a woman's voice coming from Loki's apartment. She was shouting and so was he. "How dare you?" he roared.

"I did it to save you, Loki. Do you want me to say that I'm sorry because I'm not. I did what I thought was best to save my leader, the true king of Asgard."

"You betrayed me, sold me out to someone who has put a death sentence on my head. One that is quite possibly worse than the one that was there before. And you dragged someone else into this."

"The girl? So what? She is nothing in the grand scheme of things. You-"

The fighting stopped as Kass knocked. It took Loki a few moments longer than usual to answer it and he looked more than surprised to see her. "Kass?"

"Was I interrupting?" she asked as she tried her best not to peer around him to get a sneak peek at the girl he had been arguing with.

"No," he said and stepped back to let her in. "In fact, Amora here was just leaving."

Kass looked at the tall brunette in the middle of the room wearing some bizarre getup. She was surprised as only a small amount of jealousy washed over her. "Nice to meet you," Kass said, her voice light as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

Amora glared at her for a second before turning her gaze to Loki. "This isn't over."

"Yes," he replied as she walked past them to the door. "It is," he added as he slammed it shut.

Kass gave him a moment before reaching out to touch his arm for comfort. He looked at her, but she could tell he was still angered about whatever it was they had been fighting about. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Kass nodded and Loki stepped away from her. He stopped at the couch, gripping the cushions so hard, Kass could see his knuckles turn white. "I can go if you want me to. Come back another time."

"Don't," he demanded and shook his head, but didn't say anything else. Kass continued to stand by the door feeling awkward. She had spent hours pacing her apartment, used all her hot water to wash away her confusion, but nothing had helped the shock of what Breyanna had told her. She thought coming here would help, but clearly this was not a good time. She waited for him to say something else, but he remained silent. He didn't even so much as look at her.

"Well, I'm just gonna go," she said softly and turned around to take her leave.

Her hand barely touched the door before she felt his hand on hers, pulling it away from the door roughly. Immediately he pushed her front against the door, pressing himself flush against her back, his lips against her hear. "I said don't go," he whispered raggedly.

Both fear and excitement course through her as she felt his arousal pressing against her back. She stayed motionless, waiting to see what he would do next, but nothing happened. Slowly, she began to move, turning so that she was facing him; her back against the door. He wasted no time in bringing his mouth down upon hers. There was a frenzy to this kiss that they had never shared before; a need, a want, a desperate plea. It left Kass' head spinning, but she went with it, enjoying it too much to truly care.

She broke the kiss in order to breathe, but Loki seemed to be immune as his lips found her neck to continue. "Loki," she whispered, trying to push him away just a little in order to get more comfortable. He only pushed back harder causing her to wince and hiss as the door handle dug into her back.

"Do you know what you do to me?" he asked as he nipped at her skin.

"You're hurting me."

"I am not the type that has lets people in. Once you let someone in you become weak. They can be used against you."

"Loki-" she started as his hands went to her hips and gripped harder than he ever had before. If this was sex, she would have welcomed it, but he was scaring her. "Stop," she pleaded.

"I need to get you out of my head, Kass. I need this to stop."

"Then stop!" she snapped and shoved with all her might, breathing a sigh of relief as he stepped back. Without hesitation she used the gap to escape and move further into the living room. "What the hell was that?" she asked putting her hands on her hips tenderly.

He shook his head and Kass could see the anger in him dissipate slowly before her eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, looking down. Kass nodded, believing him. "You should go," he added and took off towards the bedroom.

Kass stood there, still in shock. She wanted to go, yet she couldn't seem to get her feet to move in the direction of the door. It wasn't until she heard the gush of water from his bathroom that her feet responded, taking her in that direction. She stopped in the doorway to the bathroom and met his gaze. "I'm not going anywhere."

Loki said nothing as he moved towards her, wrapping his arms around her. He wasted no time in helping her out of her clothes. Both of their bodies bare, Loki lifted her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist and carried her into the scalding shower. He pinned her to the wall with the shower head at the same time he entered her. Whatever was going on with him he had tabled and for now, that was all Kass could ask as he buried himself inside her, sending them both over the edge.


	13. Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

Loki woke up to Kass' hand grazing his thigh as she shifted in her sleep. He watched as she turned away from him, taking what was left of sheet with her. Loki couldn't help but grin slightly. However, the grin didn't last long as he remembered the day before. Anikka had given him twenty-four hours to turn Kass over or she would come after them bot will all that she had. That was twelve hours ago. He only had twelve left to spend with Kass before everything went to hell and he was determined to make them memorable.

Loki moved carefully as not to wake her. He got out of bed and walked to the kitchen to attempt to make coffee. He wished she had shown him how the other day, but he was going to try. While it was brewing, he went back to the bedroom and watched her shift again from the threshold. This time, the sheet didn't move with her, exposing her creamy skin and curvy figure. Loki smiled hungrily as an idea washed over him.

He approached the bed and carefully maneuvered himself onto it, positioning himself between her legs. He moved her legs so that they rested on his shoulder and flicked his gaze upwards to watch her eyes flutter as his finger ran the length of her dewy slit. He moved closer and looked down as leaned in to taste her. She arched into him as his tongue slowly circled her clit. He pushed his middle finger into her core and heard her breathing become shallow. He looked up to see her fingers clutching at the sheets in order to steady herself. He smiled again and went back to pleasing her. He added another finger, moaning low in his throat at the way her walls clutched at him.

"Loki," she panted, her back rising up off the bed.

Loki continued, adding one more finger and throwing every trick he had at her. He felt her body shudder around him as she came for him hard and fast. He continued pumping his fingers in and out of her until she was completely down from her high. He pulled back to sit on his knees as she pushed herself up on her elbows, staring up at him with lust in her eyes.

"Good morning," he said, staring down at her.

She reached for him and he moved to lie on top of her, her knees bending to cradle him to her body with ease. "Good morning indeed," she replied, her hands resting on his biceps.

He grinned at her as he reached down to guide him into her slippery entrance. She groaned as she shifted to accept him and let one of her hands move to his back. Her nails dug in in order to hold on as he gained speed. Still on edge from her first climax, Kass was already feeling her head begin to bind. Her nails scraped his back rapidly as he drove deeper and deeper with each powerful thrust.

A moan of surprised escaped her lips as he suddenly flipped so that she was on top. Her hands slapped onto his chest as his went to her hips. She bucked and rode him feverishly. Kass tossed her head back and moaned loudly as she felt one of his hands reach up to tease one of her hardened nipples. A shudder ran through her body, letting her know she was close. Loki shot up so that they were both sitting while he was still inside her. He met her pelvic movements with his own as he reached up to cup her face, a palm on each side. Their lips locked, swallowing each other's moans of satisfaction. As they came, Kass pushed forward so that he was lying down again with her still on top of him.

Finished, Kass slid off to the side and stared at the ceiling with him doing the same from beside her. When she caught her breath again, she moved to lie on her stomach, half on him, half on the bed. He let his fingers sink into her hair as he moved it from her face. "I truly am sorry about last night."

She shook her head and traced her fingers in abstract patterns on his chest. "Are you ready to talk about it?"

"You're better off not knowing."

"I can handle it, whatever it is," she assured him. "Try me."

He looked as though he were considering it, and gave a slight nod. "Only if we get up and dressed."

Kass laughed and felt the rumble of his laughter from beneath her. "Mmm, I suppose. Otherwise we won't really be doing much talking."

"Precisely," he said and patted her on the back before getting up to dress.

She groaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "You were serious?"

He responded by tossing one of his shirts at her. She grinned and pulled it over her head before getting out of bed. "That shirt looks so much better on you."

"It's a curse really," she said as she made her way to the coffee pot. "You made some already?"

"I attempted," he corrected. "Don't get excited until you taste it." He leaned against the counter and watched as she tried some.

"Not bad," she replied and set the mug down before leaning on the counter opposite him. "So, you were going to tell me something?"

He looked at her as though he wanted to share, but she could tell he wasn't quite ready. "Kass..."

"Fine, I'll go first," she said and turned to look at her mug. She concentrated on it and slowly, it lifted from the counter. It moved through the air and she put it down on the counter by Loki.

"Impressive."

She nodded. "Since I can remember I've been able to see the future. It wasn't until I met you that I've been able to move things with my mind and read people's thoughts. I also think I'm starting to remember who I am."

He watched her and realized there was more. "And?" he prompted.

"I've been watching the news. Clearly humans aren't the only thing out there and Earth isn't the only planet with life."

Loki realized where she was going with this. "Kass..."

Kass smiled and shook her head. "You weren't given the name of a Norse god from crazy parents. You are _the _Loki, God of Mischief and Magic. That woman, the bounty hunter, said something about you being Prince of Asgard-"

"I am no prince of Asgard," he interrupted.

"Right, that would be Thor, your brother."

"He is not-"

"Asgard is one of the Nine Realms, is it not?" she asked, cutting him off. When he didn't answer, she continued. "It was you in New York City, wasn't it? You were the one responsible for all of that."

He stared at her for a long time. "Who have you been talking to?" he asked, his voice quiet, but deadly.

"I saw a sketch a survivor drew."

He surged forward, placing a hand around her throat gently. "Names," he insisted.

She tensed beneath him, but refused to show any other signs of fear. "Her name is Breyanna," she whispered. "She said she's from Vanaheim and she partnered with this thing called SHIELD-"

Loki jerked backwards as though someone had pushed him. He raked a hand through his hair before knocking the mug off the counter. The coffee spilled everywhere and the mug shattered on the floor. "Shit," he hissed and began to pace in front of her.

"Loki-"

"SHIELD came to you to get to me," he snapped. "It doesn't matter what else they might have said; they just want me." He paused and stopped moving to look at her. His eyes raked over her and it made Kass uneasy. "This could work. Thor is with SHIELD. They could protect you."

"Protect me? From what?"

"From Anikka."

"Who?" she asked, even though she had a sinking feeling that she did know.

"Someone dangerous. She wants you dead more than anything and since I have no intention of handing you over to her, she will want both of us dead. SHIELD is willing to help you."

He turned and made his way towards the bedroom. "Loki, stop," she demanded as he changed into something different.

He stopped and reached out to touch her. He leaned in to kiss her soundly as if it were the last kiss. "The only way to protect you is to leave," he whispered and stepped away.

"Wait, what?"

"Goodbye."

"Loki, no," she begged and took a step forward.

"It's the only way," he said as he backed away from her. "For once I'm trying to save someone else instead of just myself."

"We can-"

He shook his head and looked at her, his blue eyes filled with sorrow. "Kass..."

He was already beginning to vanish and Kass felt tears track down her cheeks. "I love you. Please don't go," she whispered.

But he was already gone.


	14. Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

Kass waited for the longest time for Loki to come back even though she knew he wouldn't. At first she paced the living room, wiping the tears from her face and shouting a slew of curses that would offend even the best of villains. When the tears had stopped, her pacing slowed. Eventually she found herself sitting on the couch. It had taken a long time to work up the strength to leave, but as soon as she stepped into the hallway, she felt strange for having stayed so long.

Having been numbed by shock, Kass barely noticed that she had walked all the way home. She had been on autopilot, not even remembering going through crosswalks or cutting through traffic. Home, she walked to her bedroom and let the door close behind her. She Stood there, unsure of what to do next. Slowly, she began undressing. Wearing nothing but her necklace, she made her way to the bathroom and started her shower where she stayed under the blistering waters until they turned to ice.

Still numb, she pulled on the first articles of clothing that she came across. As she pulled her shirt down she heard a knock on her front door. The idea of human contact broke whatever spell of emotionlessness that had washed over her and it was soon replaced by anger.

She moved towards the door and stared out the peephole. There were two people on the other side, one dressed on the formal end of casual and the other wearing all black, a patch over one eye. Slowly she opened it and stared at both of them. "Can I help you?" she asked, looking over each one of them individually, not sure what to expect.

"Kassandra Erikson?" the one that was dressed up asked.

"Who are you?" she asked instead of confirming her identity.

"Miss Erikson," the one in black said, annoyance and impatience clear in his voice. It caused the anger in Kass to heighten. "We are from SHIELD-" he started.

Kass laughed and stepped back. "I figured something like that," she stated. "I have nothing to say to you people. And you can tell Breyanna to stay the hell away from me."

She moved to shut the door, but the man in black put his foot over the treshold to stop it from closing. She glared at him before stepping away. Both men entered the apartment, the one in slacks looking a little more hesitant than the other. "We need you to come with us."

She snorted. "Like hell."

"We wanted to ask you nicely, but we will take you by force if we have to."

Kass stopped moving and took a deep breath as she glared at him. "I would really like to see you try."

"Miss Erikson-" the other one started.

"Why should I go with you?" she asked, reaching out with her mind to the knives in the kitchen.

"Because you're in danger and we can protect you."

She smirked. "I can protect myself," she assured them before lashing out with her mind, sending the knives their way.

Both men ducked, but the one in black wasn't quick enough. One whizzed by his arm as he attempted to dodge it, but it cut him ever so slightly. "I wish you would have just come with me the easy way."

In one swift movement, he pulled something from his back pocket and launched it at her. Without even trying to react, it stopped before her as if her powers were automatically protecting her. She smirked and sent it flying back at him. However, having been concentrating on that, she hadn't seen the other man coming up behind her. She hissed as she felt the sting of a needle in her neck and the cool rush of liquid being pushed into her body. The room began to spin and the man put his arms around her. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said politely.

"You will be," she muttered as the sound of glass shattering from far away filled her ears. Not long after that, her body went weak and no matter how hard she tried to fight it, she was pulled into darkness.

* * *

Anikka looked up from her desk at the sound of her front door being opened. She smiled at the sight of her friend rounding the corner. "Breyanna," she said and leaned back. "I did not expect to see you so soon."

Breyanna smiled back at her and sat down in a chair on the opposite side of Anikka's desk. "Plans have changed."

"For the best?"

Breyanna inclined her head. "Definitely. I just received word that SHIELD has taken Sigyn into custody. She will be transported to their floating headquarters in a few hours and then we can make our move."

"Have you told Haknor?"

"I came here so we could do that together," she said and pulled a device from her pocket. She set it on the table and pressed a button. After a few seconds, a projection of a man rose from the center of the device. "Haknor," Breyanna said, inclining her head in greeting.

"Breyanna, Anikka," he said in reply, his voice gruff.

"Sigyn is with the humans I spoke of last time."

"Is she ready for extraction?"

"Yes," Breyanna answered.

Haknor's gaze rested on Anikka. "Will you be able to leave Midgard? I thought you were bound?"

"I've been working on this for a thousand years. I found a small loophole that will allow me to return long enough to see her finished. I can stave off the magic for at least that long. I will not leave until she is in your custody, milord."

Satisfied, he looked back at Breyanna. "How hard will this be?"

"Thor is with the humans, but as long as there is a big enough distraction I do not see any problems."

"And what of Loki?"

Breyanna shook her head. "He disappeared. I do not think he will be a problem for the extraction. She is with SHIELD now; he wouldn't risk his own life to save hers."

Haknor thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Well done," he stated and the transmission ended.

Breyanna put the device in her pocket and stood. "You know Loki will be a problem right?"

"By the time he comes back, she'll be dead," she replied. "He'll be easier to deal with when you're back to full powers." With that, she used what little magic she had to whisk herself back to SHIELD headquarters hoping no one had noticed she was gone.

* * *

Loki wasn't sure what he expected or how he would feel as he appeared back at his apartment hours later. Half of him hoped and expected that Kass would still be there while the other half was relieved, yet biter. The longer he stood there, the angrier he got. He began to pace as his mind wondered. She had said she loved him and he believed her. It was why, after several hours of trying to run, he found himself coming back. He stopped pacing as a sense of dread washed over him. What if he had come back, but it was already too late. He ran a hand through his hair frantically as he forced himself not to think about that just yet.

He used his magic to get to Kass' apartment, appearing in the hallway just outside her door. He felt his anger rise at the sight of her door open. He moved inside her apartment to see Tegan standing in the living room looking confused.

"Where is Kass?" he asked.

Tegan looked at him and shook her head. "I was hoping she was with you."

Loki walked further into the apartment to look for clues only to find prominent signs of a struggle. They may not have been obvious for many, but he had witnessed her lose control when she thought her life was at stake and this seemed to be like that. The furniture had been moved slightly and there were knives on the floor along with shattered glass. Someone had taken her, it was up to Loki to figure out who.

He turned to leave, but Tegan's voice made him stop. "What the hell is going on?" she asked.

"Someone took her."

"Who? Why?"

"That's what I intend to find out," he assured her before taking his leave despite Tegan's pleas for explanation.

Loki reappeared inside Anikka's building, but she wasn't at her desk like she usually was. It didn't take long before something whizzed through the air. Loki barely moved out of the way of being struck before someone rushed him. "I told you what would happen if you disappointed me," came Anikka's voice in his ear. "You should have just stayed on the run."

"Where is Kass?" he asked as he broke free of her grip just before she moved to stab him.

"Her name is Sigyn and she is somewhere you'll never get to in time."

Loki lunged at her, but she was faster. "Anikka!" he raged as he looked around, but couldn't see her.

"Maybe your brother can help," she sneered, still out of sight. "Or maybe not," she finished as she launched a dagger into his side before disappearing permanently.

Loki placed a hand on his side and removed the dagger. The damage was already beginning to heal as he decided that the next place to go was the one place he had been trying so desperately to avoid.


	15. Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

_"Father, the Aesir-"_

_ "Enough, Sigyn," came his deep rumbling voice as he sat atop his dark throne before her. "The Aesir are not planning anything. They co-habit our planet now that there's was destroyed."_

_ She shook her head defiantly. "They _are_," she argued. "They blame us for their planet's destruction and they plot to take our planet in return."_

_ "As long as the blood of the original Vanir is still alive, no one may lay claim to this planet as their own," he stated, quoting the manifest directly. "And I doubt they would have enough resources to make that happen."_

_ Sigyn sighed heavily. "They have already-"_

_ "What do you have as evidence to your claims?" he asked._

_ Sigyn stared at him. "If proof is what you require, then I shall have it for you in no time."_

_ She stormed out of the throne room and made her way towards her chambers. "Princess?" came a voice from behind her as she rounded a corner._

_ Sigyn turned to see Anikka and she smiled wickedly. "Ah, Anikka. Just the person I was looking for," she said and moved forward to confront her._

The first sensation to return was that of pain. Her neck ached from where the needle had punctured her skin, but not nearly as bad as her head from her outburst of powers. The light as she opened her eyes made everything seem even worse. She groaned as she began to move the rest of her body. As she came back to full awareness, she realized she wasn't alone in the room.

The very tall blonde man lounging by the door held up his muscular arms. "I am not here to hurt you,' he assured her.

She believed him, but it didn't ease her nerves. "Where am I?"

"SHIELD headquarters. I believe they call it a helicarrier."

"A what?"

"A sort of vessal that floats in the sky."

Kass nodded and rubbed her neck as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Why am I here?"

"To protect you."

"From?" she asked even though she already knew the answer. It was confirmed by the look on his face. "He's gone," she stated quietly, forcing herself to not cry.

"Gone?"

"He said something about leaving to protect me. That he wasn't going to save himself by handing me over and that SHIELD could protect me better than he could."

"Loki feared something else. What was it?"

"A woman named Anikka."

His brows furrowed. "That name-" he started, but was interrupted by someone entering the room.

"Thor, the others need your assistance in the conference room," Breyanna said.

He inclined his head. "Would you like to meet the others?"

"I'm allowed to leave the room?" Kass replied, mildly surprised.

"You are not a prisoner here," he assured her and gestured for her to leave the room with them.

Kass followed Thor out of the room and down a winding, narrow corridor of hallways. As he led her to a room with a large round table, Kass stopped at the sight of a large wall comprised of mostly windows. More specifically, the sight that the windows brought her eyes. Hundreds of computers and dozens of walkways in a room larger than a celebrity mansions manned by just as many humans wearing the same dark green uniform.

_Should I tell her how sorry I am?_ came a familiar voice in her head.

Kass turned her attention from what she could see in the windows to the people sitting around the table. Her eyes fell upon a familiar face and she scowled, her anger rising to the point where anything that wasn't attached began to hover in the air.

"Kass?" Thor said lightly from beside her.

She stared at the other man. "You really should apologize before I return the favor."

"Ma'am-"

"Stop." The voice belonged to the other man as he entered the room, passing Kass in the process. "We never planned on drugging you, but you left us no choice. You're here now and you're safe. Please take a seat."

Slowly, Kass settled down and everything her power extended to fell back into their places. She rolled her shoulders and crossed her arms across her chest as she leaned against the wall by the door. "I'm good right here."

"Suit yourself," he said.

"These are the Avengers," Breyanna said as she stopped by Kass' side. "You already know Thor, Captain America or Steve Rogers, and their leader Nick Fury. The woman is Natasha Romanov, also known as Black Widow and the other man is Hawkeye."

"There are usually two more, but they're a little busy with their own research," Natasha said, earning a slight snicker from the Captain.

"Why am I here?"

"Because of what Breyanna told you," Fury said.

"Being a lost princess from a millennia ago doesn't really seem like something you'd be interested in."

"You're right, we don't care about you," Fury stated. "She does," he added, nodding at Breyanna. "And whatever happens next is between the two of you. We're interested in the person the lost princess has been spending her time with recently."

Kass tried her best not to react. "I'm not going to tell you anything."

"Do you know what he's done?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yes."

Whatever he was going to say died in his throat as he heard the truth in her voice. "Did you two talk about his plans and get off on discussing new ones? Did he tell you how he brainwashed several people, including me, to carry out his diabolical plan to enslave the human population? Did-"

"Enough," Thor demanded, cutting Hawkeye off.

Kass stared back at him. "If you want an honest answer, fine. We didn't do a lot of talking in the short time that I knew him. I knew what he had done, but the sex was just-"

"Please don't finish that statement," Thor begged, his tone harsh, but light at the same time.

She smirked slightly. "Yes, I knew what he did, but there were a lot of other things going on like people trying to kill me."

"That would happen when dating a villain," Rogers said.

"They tried to kill _me_, not Loki," she replied coldly. She shook her head and looked down as her strength faded and she felt tears gathering in her eyes. "It doesn't matter anyway. He's gone. He's not coming back."

"Gone?" Fury asked.

She nodded and looked up, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. "I told him about SHIELD and he said you would be better at protecting me than him. That there was something worse coming after him and leaving would be the best way to protect me. So yeah, he's gone."

"How do you know for sure he's not coming back?" Natasha asked.

She stared at all of them, but didn't speak until her gaze met with Thor. "Because I told him I loved him."

Before anyone could digest that properly, a loud sound filled the room and the helicarrier shook as though a bomb had gone off. Everyone ducked and moved for their weapons. Thor dove for Kass to knock her out of the way as the ceiling to the room gave way. She stared at him, but neither said a word.

"What's happening?" Fury asked, speaking into a device on his ear.

"Let's go," Natasha said as she and the other began filing out of the room.

"I can fight," Kass said to Thor.

"We don't know what we're up against."

"It's not Loki," she assured him.

"I know that."

"Then let me fight."

Before he had a chance to argue, men and women in strange outfits entered the room and started firing at them with even stranger guns. Thor pushed her out of the way and threw his hammer at them, knocking them back against the wall. He turned to see if she was alright, but she wasn't there. In a flash, he saw her being dragged down the hall by Breyanna, but something about it wasn't right. As he moved to go after her, more people came in. If she was in trouble, he would have to fight his way to her.

* * *

Breyanna dragged Kass down the hallways, stopping to open the door to the room Kass had woken in and threw Kass inside, slamming the door shut behind them. "Sigyn," she said. "Our last conversation didn't go so well."

Kass rubbed her arm from where Breyanna had had her hand wrapped tightly around her. "You told me I was an alien princess. I needed some time to process that."

She nodded, a smile taking hold of her lips, one that distorted her usual look of innocence. "A princess that has taken a thousand years to find. We have been waiting a long time for this."

"For what, exactly?" Kass was suddenly afraid.

"For your dead, of course. Until you die, I can't be queen of Vanaheim and I am really tired of waiting," she said and lunged towards Kass at the same time the helicarrier shook violently.

Kass and Breyanna knocked into one another, but Kass had the advantage. She concentrated until Breyanna was hovering above the ground clutching at her throat. Buzzers and flickering lights filled the room as well as the corridor outside coupled with the frantic shouts of crew members. Knowing that she had to move fast in order to get to safety, Kass tightened her mental hold and moved towards the door slowly. Once she reached it, she let go of Breyanna and turned to leave only to be blocked by a familiar face. "Anikka," she breathed in fear.

"Princess," she greeted as she reached out to rip Kass' necklace from her throat. Kass' vision blurred as she felt a sharp pain in her back. Breyanna held her up as Anikka laid a hand on her arm. With what little energy she had left, Kass watched as Anikka began to chant causing the necklace to glow brightly. Kass' vision wavered, but she caught one last glimpse of Thor opening the door before she became sucked into a void of darkness.

* * *

Hours had gone by before the Avengers were gathered in the conference room again; what was left of it anyway. Thor paced in front of them as the other sat, nursing their wounds, some superficial, some worse than they looked. "Do we know who or what it was?" Rogers asked, wiping the blood from his forehead with a towel.

"It wasn't Loki," Thor stated.

"It would be easier to believe that if Kass was still here."

"Breyanna took her," Thor said, telling them for the first time. "The person responsible for all of this is something much worse than any of you can imagine."

"Without Kass, we have no hope of finding Loki," Hawkeye said.

Natasha saw the look on Thor's face. "Maybe we have bigger things to worry about."

Before anyone could argue, shouting came from the bridge below followed by frantic gunshots. Everyone got up to peer out the windows to see what was going on, but they were all surprised as they heard a voice from behind them. "Where is she?"

They turned to see Loki standing in the doorway. He raised his hands in surrender as they began to approach him. "Loki?" Thor questioned, his voice full of disbelief.

"I don't care what you do to me, I knew the risks in coming here. I only want Kass. At the very least, confirmation that she's okay."

Thor held out his hands for the others to stop moving. "You're too late, Brother. Kass is gone."


	16. Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

Thor stared at the monitor as the others sat in their seats having a heated discussion. Last time Loki had been put in a cell on the helicarrier, he had just stood there, facing the doors, looking as though he didn't have a care in the world. This time, he was pacing back and forth with a worried expression ingrained on his face. It wasn't until someone tapped him one the shoulder that Thor realized someone had asked him something.

"What do you suppose we do with him?" Hawkeye asked.

Thor shrugged. "He escaped from here and from Asgard, yet he came back to save the life of one."

"I know he said he was just here for the girl, but it doesn't matter. We-"

"I told him she wasn't here and he volunteered to be locked up. That is very unlike him."

"What does he expect?" Rogers asked.

"He expects Thor to hear him out," Natasha said.

Hawkeye snorted. "So that Thor will feel sorry for him and let him out?"

"No," Thor replied. "Either way, this is a matter for Asgard, not Midgard."

"Thor, you said so yourself, he already escaped Asgard once and came right back here. I can't let him go," Fury said.

Thor straightened his shoulders. "If I need to bring my brother back to Asgard, I will not be asking to do so," he informed Fury and moved to go talk to his brother.

Loki continued to pace even after Thor approached. "Who took her?" Loki asked.

"You already know that."

"Fine. How did they take her?" he asked.

Thor thought about the scene he had witnessed. "They had a gateway key."

"Her necklace."

"You knew she had a gateway key?" Thor asked.

Loki finally stopped pacing and turned to look at his brother. "She started to tell me what this Breyanna person tracked her down to tell her, but I panicked and I left. I should never have left. I told her you would protect her."

"Loki-"

"Typical," Loki interrupted and ran a hand through his hair. "I send her to you, but because it's someone I care for, it doesn't matter to you. If this had been your precious Jane-"

"We were surprised by the attack, Loki. The moment I suspected something I went after her, but I was too late." He stared at Loki for a long moment. "Tell me what happened and I'll tell you what I know."

"Amora helped me escape. She sent me to Anikka who told me there was a woman named Sigyn. She wanted her brought in alive and in exchange she would get me my freedom. Anikka found out that I knew her and sent Bounty Hunters after us. Shortly after she gave me a time frame to bring her in or she would do whatever it took to come after us both."

"How did you meet Kass?"

"A few days after I came back here I saw a woman being knocked into the street. I saved her and I healed her. Our mutual curiosity led us to cross paths many more times."

It was more of an answer than Thor thought he would receive. "Did you save her before or after Anikka sent you on a mission?"

"Before." He stared at his brother and began pacing again. "Your turn."

"Freya came to us with Breyanna. The girl claimed to have been a Seer who could only see the future of the Vanir royal family. She told us of the lost princess, Sigyn, and that she could lead us to you. I brought her here and she went to Sigyn."

"Kass."

"Her name is Sigyn."

"She doesn't remember any of that. I don't disagree with you, but she has no idea what her past was like. If she is the princess then whoever took her will kill her and she'll never know what for."

Thor thought about it for awhile and when he realized who they were, he shook his head in disbelief. "They are Aesirians."

"You have to let me out. I need to find her."

"Loki-"

"I will spend the rest of my years, however many there are, sitting in Asgardian prison with my hands neatly folded in my lap, not making a fuss if you let me out right now and help me find her. Please, brother. I have never asked you for help before and I will never ask again if you grant me this one favor."

Thor contemplated for a long moment before inclining his head. "We have to speak to Father if we want any chance of success."

"Fine."

Thor moved to the control panel and pushed the correct sequence to open the cell. Loki came out with his hands stretched out and Thor shook his head. "I see no need to chain you, but do not mistake-"

"Thank you," Loki interrupted and waited for Thor to rest a hand on his shoulder before they were surrounded by a tunnel of light bringing them back to Asgard.

* * *

Kass felt a burning sensation in her lungs while tasting something biter and metallic in her mouth. Slowly, nausea began to course through her and she opened her eyes the moment before the retched. As her eyes fluttered open, she quickly found that it was better to keep them closed as nothing would come to focus. Just as she thought it would be easier to slip back into sleep or whatever it was, she felt something strike her face causing her to cry out in more pain than she was already in.

"Ah, there she is. Now we're getting somewhere," came a low rumbling voice full of hate.

She forced her eyes open and spit. Her eyes went wide as she saw the pile of blood and vomit on the floor next to her. She tried to move her arms, but found that they were numb from being chained above her head. She forced her head to look down only to see her ankles shackled to the floor. Realizing her vision was never going to fully recover, she focused on the person in front of her.

"No, we haven't met yet," he said. "My name is Haknor." Kass let the name sink in; it was familiar, but didn't ring any bells. He sighed and Kass sensed disappointment. "You don't remember me," he stated. "Shame. Torturing you would have been so much better if you did."

"If you're going to kill me you'd better do it soon," she warned, trying not to flinch from the pain as well as the garbled sound of her voice.

"Or what?" he questioned and reached out to touch her face. "It's not like the Asgardian war criminal is in a position to come after you. Word is he turned himself in to the Allfather."

Kass swallowed thickly as she turned her head away from his touch. She spat more blood out of her mouth, smirking as it landed on his shirt. "From what I've gathered, I'm more powerful than he is."

"Not like this you're not."

"A thousand years," Kass began, trying her best not to falter as she spoke. "That's how long you've had to just take the damn planet. Why do you need to kill me to do it? I could really care less; take it, it's yours."

"It's bound to you by magic as are many other things that can only be undone by your death."

"Then who the hell has been running it for a thousand years?"

"Freya," he answered with a sneer so intense Kass could see it. "An Asgardian appointed seat warmer."

"I'll have to thank her."

For a moment her vision returned long enough to see him raise his hand to strike her again. "Doubtful," he said and Kass's vision turned black again as his fist came down, slamming into her jaw once more.

* * *

Heimdall raised his weapon and pointed the tip of the sword against Loki's throat the moment the pair stepped through the Bifrost. "Heimdall, no," Thor demanded, moving to place his hand on the gate keeper's forearm.

"You dare bring the war criminal back to Asgard as though he were still a citizen?"

"You dare question my authority?" Thor replied in return.

Slowly, begrudgingly, Heimdall lowered his sword. "Son or not, the Allfather will be furious."

"Father will be as he always is," Thor said and placed his hand on Loki's bicep to urge him forward.

"You should do all of the talking," Loki suggested as they made their way down the Rainbow Bridge.

"You're the one with the Silver Tongue. Father won't want to hear what I have to say."

Loki snorted. "The minute he sees me he'll have guards bring me straight to the prison. I'm actually surprised I haven't been brought there already."

Thor stopped and turned to block Loki's path halfway down the bridge. "I'm willing to help you, Loki, but you have to stop with the attitude. I believe you that this girl means more than your own life, but you need to show that to Father-"

"Your father."

Thor took a deep breath, but chose to ignore the comment. "You need to show him that you're serious. One small hint of sarcasm and he's going to blow you off and refuse to listen to you ever again. This is your only chance. Treat it as such."

Loki bit down his retort and inclined his head instead. As much as he wanted desperately to turn the other way and save himself once again, he knew he couldn't. As much as he wanted to say whatever he felt like to Thor and Odin, he needed to say only what needed to be said. As much as he wanted to do whatever he could to take the throne the moment he stepped in the room, he wanted to find Kass even more. "Fine," he replied began walking. "Shall we continue?"

Just as Loki suspected, the throne room was surrounded by guards; guards that swarmed around him the moment he entered. Loki made no attempt to fight them as they slapped chains around is wrists and ankles. He said and did nothing as they pulled him forward and forced him to his knees before Odin. "You dare bring him back here without restraints?" Odin questioned looking at Thor.

"I had my reasons," Thor said.

"I cannot wait to hear them."

"Father-" Thor started.

"Not now," he interrupted. He turned a hateful stare at Loki. "I was willing to give you a second chance, but not after the attack that led to your escape. If you want to be treated as someone who is not of royal blood, so be it. You are a disgrace to Jotunheim and Asgard and whatever other planet you think you are entitled to rule like the spoiled prince you are. Whatever your reasons for coming back I do not want to hear. You will spend as much time in prison as I see fit until I decide what your true punishment will be." He waved his hands and the guards began to pull him away.

Loki looked at Thor in a way he hadn't seen since they were children; he was asking, begging, Thor for help. "Father, please hear him out," Thor asked, but the king had already began making his way out of the throne room. Thor stood there even after Loki had been hauled away and Odin had slammed the heavy doors behind him. Loki's look for help played in front of him whether his eyes were open or shut. After a lot of thought, Thor left the throne room knowing exactly what he had to do.


	17. Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

Loki paced the cell relentlessly. He knew being in here was the end. There was no way Odin was going to let him out and he had no way of breaking out of here again. Yet, the longer he stayed in here, the more worried he became. Kass was in trouble and he was the only one that seemed to care. He knew Thor would feel guilty about not being able to save her, but all the things that he had said and done to the God of Thunder made Loki sure that guilt wouldn't be enough.

Loki stopped and leaned his head against the wall as he let the image of her tear stained face staring at him as he faded into the distance. Her whispered confession of love made his anger rise and he struck out at the wall. He should have never left her. It had only made things worse for both of them and now there was nothing he could do to help her.

"Loki," came a soft voice from behind him.

He straightened and turned around to see the woman who had raised him all these years. "Frigga."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I am your mother." She waited for him to interject, but when he was silent, she continued. "You are my son whether you believe it yourself or not. I cared for you since Odin brought you to me as a babe. I never questioned my feelings toward you nor denied you anything. All I ever gave you was love the way a mother should; something your birth mother never did."

"If you are trying to guilt me into something, it's not going to work."

"Why did you come back?" she asked. "If you hate us all so much, why did you risk everything to ask Odin for help?"

Loki snorted. "Does it matter? Odin is the one only one who can release me and he made it very clear that he has no intention of doing so."

"He is not the only one with that kind of authority."

Loki stared at her. "Has Thor already told you my reasons for coming back?"

"I have not seen your brother since he went to Midgard to search for you." She took a hesitatnt step towards him and smiled when he held his ground. "I came to see _you_ because I missed you. You have done horrible things and killed because you could, but that does not stop me from loving you, Loki. Nothing ever will. You are in pain and I am here to remind you that-"

"Stop," he demanded.

She took a few more steps forward and squared her shoulders. "If you are unwilling to tell me what ails you, Loki, there is nothing I can do for you."

Loki waited until she was standing before him to reach up and touch her. His fingers passed through her, scattering the hologram that allowed Frigga to be there. "There is nothing you can do for me," he said as he watched her disappear. Once Loki was alone again, he went back to pacing, thinking of all the things he should have said or did to Kass instead of leaving her behind.

* * *

Thor entered the tavern where he knew his four best fighters would be. As usual, Volsagg was eating whatever food he could find around the place while Fandral hit on everything that moved before his eyes. He could see Lady Sif in the middle of the room arm wrestling a big burly warrior more than three times her size. Without any outright effort, she slammed his elbow back and rose to her feet in one swift movement. As she cheered and downed a mug of ale someone handed her, Thor located Hogun standing off to the side, silently observing as he always did. And, as usual, it was Hogun who saw Thor first and alerted the others with his signature whistle.

Sif wiped the foam off her mouth and slapped the defeated warrior on the back as she made her way through the crowd towards Thor. Volsagg pushed himself away from the table, but not before grabbing a plate with a mound of food piled on top of it. As he passed by the blonde ladies man, he grabbed him by the shoulder, dragging him towards Thor and the others.

"It's about time you came out to join the party!" Fandral exclaimed, grabbing a stem of mead from a waitress, winking as she passed.

"Party?"

"We heard the good news," Volsagg said. When Thor remained silent, he continued. "We heard that you brought Loki back."

"Without any restraints," Sif added, studying Thor from head to toe.

"Who cares how he got here," Fandral said before slamming back his drink. "The bastard is in prison where he will stay for the rest of his very long life. All thanks to the amazing prince of Asgard."

"Something's wrong," Hogun observed as Thor fell silent again.

"Not here," Thor replied.

The other three heard the seriousness in his voice and their cheeriness disappeared and their warrior mentality began to show. Fandral set his glass on the nearest table while Volsagg simply dropped his still nearly full plate. "My place is closest," Sif volunteered and turned to leave without hesitation. The others followed her in silence until they were behind closed doors where they were allowed to speak freely.

"What's wrong, Thor? You're back in Asgard. The war criminal is in prison where he belongs. You just paid your human lady friend a visit-" Fandral said as he collapsed onto a chair.

"I did not see Jane Foster while I was there," Thor interjected. "And not all is right in the world if that's what you were about to say."

"Then what is it?" Hogun asked as he leaned against the wall.

"I need your help."

"For what?" Sif asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Thor could tell from her body language that she anticipated what he was about to ask and he knew she wasn't going to like it. "There was a woman on Midgard named Sigyn."

"I know that name," Volsagg said. He narrowed his eyes as he thought back. "Yes. She is...was of the Vanir."

Thor nodded. "She's still alive, but I'm not sure for how much longer," he said. "She was taken by some Aesirians posing as Vanir. The one who Freya enlisted to help me search for Loki turned out to be an enemy of Sigyn, only wanting to help me to get close to her."

"Wasn't she a princess?" Fandral asked. "A mean one if I remember the stories right. She was the one who made the witch Anikka look like a child."

"She was _the _princess," Sif answered. "The sole heir to the Vanir throne a thousand years ago who disappeared which is why Freya is ruling Vanheim. Until the heir dies or comes back to claim in, no one else can officially claim the throne," she recanted the tale almost word for word. "How is this relevant?" she asked, turning to look at Thor.

"Loki met her."

"So?"

"Loki saved her, fell in love with her, and then left her in order to save her," Thor said.

Sif held his gaze evenly and took a deep breath. "So?" she repeated.

"I had the humans bring her into their circle because I thought they could protect her. Loki came back, but it was already too late." He looked at each one of his faithful warriors. "Loki asked me to help save her and in return he would sit in prison or take whatever other punishment the Allfather bestowed upon him."

"You want us to go after her," Hogun stated.

Sif shook her head snorted. "No. He wants us to help break Loki out of prison and then go after her."

"Thor?" Volsagg questioned.

Sif began to pace as the others sat in silence. "I will follow you into battle knowing we may not come back alive, but I will not help you free him."

"Sif-"

"He just tried to obliterate and enslave an entire race followed by killing hundreds of his own people in order to escape. He doesn't deserve your help, Thor. He deserves to sit in prison as he's doing now. As for Sigyn, oh well. It's not our fight."

"He _asked_ for my help," Thor said after watching her pace relentlessly in silence for a moment.

"Does it matter?" Volsagg asked.

"For as long as all of you have known him, when has my brother ever asked anything of me?" Sif stopped pacing, but kept her back turned towards them. Thor watched the faces of his warriors as they debated what they should do. "I know that what my brother has done deserves no reward, but I have never heard him speak of anyone the way he speaks of her. I am asking you to help me free my brother so that we may go after the Aesirans before they kill the lost princess and rage war against us once more." He paused and looked at each one before moving his gaze to Sif's back. "Please."

Slowly, Sif began to turn around. She stared at Thor with anger in her eyes as she said, "Fine. But one false move and I will kill him without hesitation."

Thor nodded knowing that she was serious. "How are we going to do this without bringing Odin's wrath down on us all?" Fandral asked.

"I have some ideas," Volsagg volunteered, beginning the discussion on how to break Loki out of prison for the second time in less than a month.

* * *

Frigga entered the throne room to see Odin staring out the window behind the throne. "You went to see him," he stated.

"Of course I went to see him. He is my son," she replied as she made her way towards him. He turned to look at her as she reached his side. "Did you even hear what he had to say?"

"Why would I listen to him speak of how he should have the throne and the fact that he didn't get it led to his recent behavior?"

"Something must have changed if Thor was able to bring him back without any restraints. If Thor got him to come back willingly-"

"Frigga, stop," Odin demanded as he turned to look at her fully. "Whatever his reasons, I do not care. He is in a prison cell where he belongs and nothing will change that. I do not want to hear his excuses nor show him any mercy because he is my son. He sealed his own fate when he tried to kill me and take the throne for himself. He tried to kill Thor and take over Asgard and when that backfired he went after Midgard. After that-"

"I am aware of what happened after that," Frigga interrupted coldly.

"Then you know why I am being so harsh." His gaze softened as he saw the worry and acceptance spread across his wife's face. "I may never forgive him or change my mind, but I will never stop considering him a son of mine." He reached for her hand and offered a small smile. As he opened his mouth to say something else, the sound of the doors to the throne room being thrown open roughly filled the room.

"My King," came the voice of one of his guards. "The war criminal has escaped."

"How?" Odin asked.

The guard hesitated before answering. "Thor."


	18. Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Kass felt her head move from side to side as pain pulsed from the images that ran through her mind. Images of her many lives over the past thousand years played behind her eyelids in rapid motion. They were moving so fast that Kass found it hard to breathe. She could see herself moving from village to village, her clothes and hair changing with every flash. She couldn't stay in one place longer than a decade at a time because her face never aged. The only other thing constant in the flashes besides her never aging looks was the crystal necklace fastened around her throat.

Suddenly the rush of images came to a stop and all was replaced with a bright white light. The intensity of the light made the pain worse, but it only lasted for a few seconds before fading to a soft grey. Slowly the scene faded into a sort of memory, one of a particular rainy night that Kass felt familiar with, but she wasn't sure why. She looked around and was surprised at the ability to move freely. As she looked around the street, watching people hurry to get out of the thick drops of water falling from the sky, she found it harder and harder to remember how she got there or why it was strange to feel free.

"Strange, isn't it?" came an eerily familiar voice as she turned around.

Kass' eyes went wide in fright as she herself standing across from her wearing the same outfit. Kass reached up to touch her necklace and panicked when it wasn't there. She saw it on her doppelganger instead. "Who are you?"

"We're the same person," she answered. "We're just known by different names."

"Sigyn," Kass said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The doppelganger nodded. "This was the night that I decided to give in and embrace mortality," she said looking out over the crowded street behind Kass. "There had been a few run ins over the years with multiple people from the various Nine Realms. They were attracted to my aura; the one I gave off by being who I was."

"What happened?"

Sigyn shrugged and Kass noticed the regality in the way she held herself even with the attempt at casualty with her hands in her pockets. "I tried for centuries to find a way home, to find allies to get my planet back, but somewhere along the way I gave up. My powers got weaker from not being used and trying to blend in. That night I decided that to accept my fate and live my life like the mortals I surrounded myself with. I made a potion, drank it, and went for a walk in the rain."

Kass turned around and looked at the corner. She could feel herself getting weaker as she realized where she was. "This is where I was found," Kass whispered.

"My memories vanished, my strength and powers as well. You woke in that hospital with me, your true self, completely locked away in the recesses of your mind." She sighed and moved so that she was standing in front of Kass, watching as the girl deteriorated before her eyes. "When Loki crossed your path that day, everything changed. He used his powers to heal you and in return undid the spell I had put us under." She reached out to touch Kass by placing a hand on each of her shoulders. "You served your purpose, but if I continue to let you be in control, we're both going to die."

"What? I-"

Kass' words died in her throat as Sigyn surged forward and their bodies merged. Never had she experienced such pain nor had she screamed so loudly as the pain tore through her entire body. The screams and the pain were intense enough to bring Sigyn back to the real world as well as alert her guards and captors that she was alert again. Once the pain stopped and her vision came into focus, Sigyn assessed the situation she was in. Her arms were still chained above her head as her ankles were still shackled to the floor.

Her body was weak and filled with pain, but she was back. A smile crept onto her face as the door to her cell opened and two women came in. "Anikka, Breyanna," she said, her voice hoarse. "It's been a long time."

The women exchanged looks before staring back at her. "Sigyn," Anikka said lightly as if in disbelief.

"You should have killed me when I didn't remember who I was." With that, Sigyn closed her eyes and mustered what energy she had left to reach out with her powers and invade their minds, enjoying their screams of agony as she pushed herself into darkness.

* * *

Loki looked up from where he sat in his cell as the sound of footsteps brought him from his thoughts. His gaze connected with Thor's and a grim smile tugged at his lips. "Deja vu," Loki said, making no attempt to get up.

Thor looked around the cell for any clues that Loki was trying to get himself out, but he was disappointed. Apparently, Loki was doing as he promised Thor he would, sitting quietly in his cell with his hands neatly folded in his lap. It was refreshing in a way that, for a fleeting moment, Thor felt hope that he could get his brother back again. He straightened and stood in the center of the glass wall, looking directly at Loki. "How did you get out of Asgard when you last escaped?"

Loki thought about playing games, but he wasn't in the mood. Thor already knew he hadn't used the Bifrost because Heimdall would have been able to see where he had gone if that had been the escape route. "Amora," he answered.

"Can she do it again?" Thor asked.

Loki narrowed his eyes and got to his feet. Slowly, he made his way to the glass wall and stood facing Thor. "Why?" he asked, curiosity clear in his voice.

The faintest trace of a smile graced Thor's lips and Loki couldn't help but smile in turn. "Because I made a promise to help you save the girl you love."

"Thor-"

"I have a plan to get you out of here, but in order for it to work, we're going to need an alternate way out of Asgard. If Amora can get all of us out of here then we're going to need her."

"All of us?" Loki asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

At that, the sound of armor crashing to the ground filled his ears along with swords clashing. Soon, Loki was rewarded with the sight of the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. "One got away," Hogun said.

"It's only a matter of time before he tells Odin," Volsagg added. "If you're going to free him, do it now."

"Stand back," Thor demanded and Loki moved to the back of the cell as his brother began to swing his hammer.

He closed his eyes and turned his head moments before the hammer struck the glass sending shards everywhere. Wiping off his clothes, Loki made his way out of his cell only to be blind sighted by a blow to the face. The blow was hard enough to make him lose his footing. As he righted himself, he found Lady Sif in his face with the very sharp tip of her staff pushed against his throat. "I'm only doing this because of Thor, but one false move and I will have your head on the end of this staff."

"Help me save Kass and I'll let you do the honors of throwing me back in this very cell," he vowed. "I'll even do you one better and let you be my executioner if Odin issues that as my punishment."

His words took Sif by surprise and she stepped back. "Deal," she said even though she was still trying to wrap her head around his sincerity.

"Amora, call for her now," Thor demanded as Loki shook the remaining shards off of his clothes.

"Amora," he called lightly, his voice barely a whisper, but carried out by the connection of magic he shared with the sorceress. It took a few moments longer than usual, but Amora appeared before him. Her guard was up as she looked around, taking in the sight of Thor and the others. He knew that look in her eyes and reached out to grab hold of arm, using his magic to over power hers so she couldn't leave. "We don't have a lot of time."

"What do you want? You made it abundantly clear you didn't want to see me again."

"We need to get out of Asgard."

"All of you?" she asked, nervously looking around at the group of six.

"You will not be punished," Thor promised.

Amora stared at him before shifting her gaze to Loki. "Where to?"

"Vanaheim," Loki replied.

Amora's lips pressed together to form a tight line and she shook her head briefly. "Everyone hold on tight."

As everyone moved to hold onto one another, Loki moved closer and grabbed the dagger sticking out of Sif's belt. Her eyes went wide as she saw the action, but couldn't do anything as Amora's power washed over them, pulling them into a dark void that allowed them to travel from one place to the next. As they landed in the middle of the dense Vanaheim forest, Loki pushed the dagger up into Amora's ribs, angling it so it barely pierced her heart.

"Loki, no!" Sif yelled the moment she was free of the spell's hold. She moved to position her spear, but Thor blocked her.

"What are you doing?" Thor asked as he watched Amora fall back against Loki's chest as he held her motionless.

"This is what you get for betraying me. Where is she?"

Amora gasped as pain coursed through her. "I don't-"

"I'm not going to let you live either way, Amora. Just answer me or I'll just let the pain continue until you cave."

She took a deep breath as her body shuddered. "A village not far outside the main one. They look like regular buildings, but," she paused to take a few shallow breaths. "But there's an underground village where the Aesir have been able to meet."

"How long have you known?"

"Does it matter?"

Loki thought about it and shrugged. "I guess not," he replied and pushed up with the dagger, forcing it into her heart, killing her instantly.

"Loki..." Thor breathed.

Loki pulled the dagger out and held his hands up in mock surrender, blood running down his forearm in the process. Amora's body fell to the ground, her eyes open and staring at him in shock. "That was the fate she was going to meet in the end anyway. She was working for Anikka. Letting her live would have been bad for us." He lowered his hands an wiped the blade off on his thigh. "Are we going to save the lost princess or not?"

Everyone relaxed and turned their gazes to Thor who nodded. "We have the element of surprise and we shouldn't waste it. We need a plan." Loki was reluctant to agree, but found himself tossing out ideas with the rest of them not wanting to blow the only real chance he had at saving Kass.

Just as they were beginning to agree on a plan, a scream tore through the air. It was loud enough to make Loki think it was coming from someone right beside him, but judging from the look on everyone else's face, he was the only one that heard it. He shook off their gazes and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "We don't have much time."


	19. Chapter 19

NINETEEN

The scent of burning flesh and blood hit her nose causing Sigyn to wake with a start. Her eyes opened wide and she breathed a little deeper, but she didn't move a muscle otherwise. The sight of Breyanna stepping away from her filled her vision. She smiled at Sigyn coldly and put the torch back in the holder on the wall. Sigyn searched the other girl up and down, smiling back at her once she saw the deep welt along her hairline. Breyanna noticed and her smile turned into a scowl.

"Nice try earlier."

Sigyn knew she had to watch what she said. As far as her captors knew she was still Kassandra Erikson, the human who didn't know her true past. Sigyn was going to use that to her advantage. Before Sigyn could say anything in turn, the door to the cell opened and Haknor and Anikka entered.

"Good, you're awake," Haknor said. "That was a quite a display of energy. Too bad it wasn't enough."

"Maybe that's what I'd like you to think," Sigyn replied, checking out the welt on Anikka that matched the one on Breyanna.

"I doubt that," Haknor stated. "You've been tied up like that for almost three days. You've been tortured and exhausted all energy and powers that you had and then some trying to kill these two in order to escape. If your mental state doesn't kill you the compression on your frail human form will. Notice that it's getting harder to breathe?"

Sigyn had noticed, but now that someone else had pointed it out it seemed even more true. "I doubt that you'll let me die that way. Not when you're so content on killing me yourselves."

Haknor shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not."

As he began to unload a bag of new devices onto a wooden table in the corner, Sigyn focused on Breyanna and Anikka. He was right, she didn't have enough strength to break out by lashing out with her powers, but there was a way to fix that. Slowly she let her powers drift out to tap the minds of the women that stood in front of her. She took a deep breath as her powers began to siphon theirs like a steady stream of water flowing into a river. She made sure it was a tiny stream, but the longer she kept this up, the more strength she would gain. Sigyn just had to keep them from figuring out what was going on.

Anikka was the first to notice. She looked around as though something was bothering her and then rested her gaze on Sigyn. "She's doing something," she said and moved forward.

Before she reached Sigyn, people she had never seen before approached the cell. "Haknor, we have bad news."

"What?" he asked, stepping away from the devices on the table.

"Thor and his warriors have been seen entering the palace. Word has it they demanded to see Freya."

Haknor shifted his weight as though he seemed annoyed. Sigyn used the distraction to keep fueling her strength. "Did it occur to you that the prince could be here on Asgardian business?" The others outside the cell were silent and Haknor sighed. "Of course you didn't. Please come back when there's a real problem."

"Was Loki with him?" Anikka asked having turned towards the newcomers.

They were silent for a moment. "It's important!" Breyanna hissed. "Was Loki there or not?"

Sigyn's heart skipped a beat at the thought of Loki. It might have been her alter ego that had the most interaction with the war criminal, but the feelings were there and they were strong. If he was here it meant he had come back for her and that he had teamed up with his brother to do it. Not wanting to distract herself, Sigyn redirected her thoughts from Loki to the task of getting more energy.

"I don't know," the man said.

"Find out and be quick about it," Anikka demanded.

The soldiers nodded and left as quickly as they appeared and the focus turned back on Sigyn. "He's here, I'm sure of it," Breyanna said.

Sigyn shook her head. "He is not," she argued. "He left-"

"Looks like he came back," Anikka interrupted. She smiled coldly and moved forward to grab Sigyn's face roughly. The jostle broke her connection momentarily, but the touch enabled her to pull more energy from Anikka directly. "He loves her which makes this even better for us," she added, shoving her face to the side as she stepped back. "If we take Thor and Loki out it makes Asgard easier to take down."

Haknor grabbed something off the table and hurried to be in front of Sigyn. "Looks like we have some things to figure out," he said before striking her across the face so hard she blacked out again.

* * *

Freya stood in front of the throne and stared wildly at Thor. "You dare bring _him_ into my presence?" she raged.

"There is no time to argue or place blame, Freya," Thor said. "Do you remember Breyanna?"

Freya was taken aback by his question. "The woman I left in your care, yes. Why?"

"The woman you said knew about Sigyn definitely knew about her, but not in the way you thought. I believe she was Aesirian and she is here with other members of the Aesir. They have Sigyn and they are going to kill her to get the throne," Thor explained.

Freya shook her head in disbelief. "Breyanna has not returned."

"Of course she didn't notify you of her return. Not when her plans are to overthrow you," Loki said, taking a step forward.

"You dare speak to me?"

"You are no queen," he stated. "That's not even your throne."

"Until Sigyn reclaims-"

"Exactly. You're just an overseer. And not a very good one if you sent a member of the Aesir to find the sole legitimate Vanir."

"A lecture on how to rule from-"

"Again, proving my point that we are equals in this room," he interrupted. "Sigyn's life is in danger and if she dies you'll have more than just the Aesir to worry about." It felt strange using that name, but it had the desired effect.

Freya turned her searing gaze to Thor and took a deep breath in effort to quell her rage. "I shall call upon the Imperial Army. If what you say is true then I have no idea how many of the Aesir still reside on Vanaheim. You'll need their help."

"Thank you Freya," Thor said and inclined his head.

"Don't thank me yet," she said coldly. "When your father hears what you have done you will meet the same fate as your brother." With that, she turned her back on them and made her way out of the throne room.

"Why did you have to do that?" Sif asked, turning towards Loki with her fists clenched tightly at her side.

"Do what? Put her in in place?" she asked and turned away from them.

Thor placed a hand on his bicep to pull him back. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You can waste time organizing the army if you want, but I'm going out there to try and save her."

"We don't know how many of them their are," he said. "An hour, Loki. That's all I ask to inform the warriors and set up a real plan before we go rushing in there."

"We may not have an hour."

"How can you-"

"I heard her screaming."

Thor shook his head. "When?"

"Before we decided to come here," he said. "It sounded as though she were screaming from beside him."

The look on Thor's face confirmed that no one else heard it besides Loki. "I didn't-"

"I know you didn't hear anything," Loki interrupted. "We shared a connection of the mind once," he explained. A shiver passed over him as he thought of the moment that connection had occurred. He shook his head and took a step back. "One hour. If you're not ready to go by then, I'm leaving without you."

Thor nodded and turned to face the warriors that filled the room for him to command. Loki watched as his brother did what he did best. As Thor launched into a brief explanation of what they would be doing, Loki surveyed Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. As he realized the four of them were concentrating on their leader, Loki used the distraction to slip away. Once he was free from sight, Loki made a break for it, deciding to search for Sigyn all on his own.

* * *

_Sigyn threw herself into the door, her weight causing it to slam against the wall behind her as she barged into the throne room. "NO!" she yelled as she made her way to the bodies on the floor in front of the throne. There was blood everywhere, causing her to stumble every now and then, hurting her already broken leg. Weak, her body was unable to repair itself as fast as she would have liked, but she was still alive which was more than she could say for parents as they lie in a pool of their own blood._

_ "No no no," she repeated over and over again as she landed hard on her knees between their bodies. With shaking hands she reached out and touched her mother's face. She turned her attention towards her father, but the result was the same. Their skin was white and their eyes lifeless as they stared up at the ceiling._

_ "You thought that by getting rid of Anikka you would have solved the problem," came a voice from the entrance._

_ Sigyn turned her head to see Haknor standing in the entrance closest to her. She tried to stand, but her leg wouldn't support her weight. Her emotions were too scattered to lash out with her powers so she sat there motionless as he approached her. "You will pay for this," she swore._

_ He smirked reached down and grabbed a fist full of her hear in order to yank her up to her feet. Once she was standing, he placed his hands around her throat and squeezed as hard as he could. Sigyn did her best to fight back, but she was exhausted. Her eyes closed ever so slightly, but not before she saw another man step past the threshold._

_ "Stop," a silky voice demanded._

_ Sigyn's eyes fluttered open as Haknor's fingers relaxed and she shifted her gaze to see Loki standing before her wearing his traditional Asgardian garb._

_ "Or what?" he asked._

_ "Or nothing. You die whether you kill her or not," Loki said and rushed forward. In order to defend himself, Haknor let go. As much as she desperately wanted to remain conscious, Sigyn felt herself slipping and allowed the blackness to take her before she hit the floor._

Sigyn's eyes opened as the vision ended. It was strange, but somehow she _knew_. She had experienced a memory turned into a vision. That vision gave her hope that history would not repeat itself entirely. A smile took hold of her lips as she spotted her necklace hanging around Breyanna's throat. "I believe you have something of mine," she said coldly.

By the time Breyanna felt the pull of Sigyn's powers it was too late. Her energy surged outward with such force all of her shackles broke simultaneously. She landed hard on her knees, but it didn't stop her. She latched onto Breyanna's mind with her own and used her stolen energy to get to her feet. She forced herself forward until she was standing before her weakening foe. She grabbed the pendant and pulled, the chain slicing through Breyanna's neck, severing her head from her body in the process. As the body and head fell to the floor with two separate thumps, Sigyn took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. "It feels good to be back," she said to herself as she fastened the bloodied necklace around her neck where it belonged.


	20. Chapter 20

TWENTY

Loki had barely made it outside the palace walls before he found himself being thrown against them. He scowled at Lady Sif as she stared up at him with her staff pressed against his throat. "You couldn't wait until Thor was finished?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"What do you care?" Loki asked, reaching up to knock the staff away from him so he could step away from the wall.

"I don't care if you go off on your own and get yourself killed. In fact, I hope that's what happens," she said, staking her staff into the ground so she could cross her arms over her chest. "But I do care what happens to Thor. He risked everything to get you out and help you save this girl. The least you can do is wait to let him help you."

"I might be too late if I wait for him to give orders. I was already too late once," he said and turned away from her to continue his way towards the village Amora had mentioned. He heard Sif sigh followed by a slew of Asgardian curses, but the next thing he knew she was walking beside him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Thor would never forgive me if I let you go alone and you got killed. Besides, if she is the Sigyn of legends and you are the way you are, who's to say the two of you aren't planning a takeover of the Nine Realms? I would really like to be there to stop that."

Loki couldn't help but smirk at her and nod. "Fine, but whatever happens, save Sigyn."

"As if I would save you," she returned and they fell into silence.

Together they covered the relatively short distance to the village in the time it would have taken Thor to finish his speech and begin heading out. Loki surveyed the village from the hill they were hiding behind. He had never spent much time here before and he couldn't tell what was normal for the Vanir and what wasn't, but he could definitely tell the way the people outside constantly looked over their shoulder was not normal. "There," he said pointing to a building towards the front center of the village.

"Entrance to the underground?" Sif asked.

Loki nodded. "It's where the majority of the people are even though there's only a handful. They never stray far from it."

She grabbed Loki's forearm as he started to get to his feet. "We can't just go rushing in. Not dressed like Asgardians."

Loki smirked and used his powers to mask their identities with the clothes that the villagers were wearing. "Now we can."

"War criminals first," she said, gesturing for him to go forward.

As they approached the village the people stopped what they were doing and watched them. Loki and Sif stopped as they began to form a line of defense in front of the building. "Well, I guess the disguises didn't matter," he said, lifting the magic from them. "Good, I never wanted a quiet entry anyway," he added before he and Sif moved forward to engage in combat.

* * *

Sigyn recognized the hallway the moment she stepped into it. Even if she only had the glow of the crystal to light her way, she knew where she was. She had been held in the same cell she had banished Anikka in. Smiling fondly at the memory, she continued down the corridor, but not for long. After a second step she doubled over from the sudden pain in her abdomen. She had burned a lot of energy getting free and her body was still weak from being strung up like that. Forcing the pain to subside, she pushed forward.

She was more than surprised when she reached the familiar exit to the prison without encountering anyone else. Feeling weaker by the second, she peered around the corner and realized she was close to her old room. All she had to do was gather enough strength to get there and she could recover in peace for awhile. If it was true and Thor was here it meant he was looking for her. If he was looking for her it meant he believed Loki and he knew about the Aesir. That alone gave her the energy she needed to find her room and push open the heavy wooden doors.

Once inside she collapsed and closed her eyes. A thousand years had gone by and yet her quarters looked the same. Freya had left her room this way in the hopes that she would return someday. That thought along with gratitude brought tears from her eyes. She reached up and wiped them away. With blurry eyes she looked around the room until her gaze settled upon a small table by the closet. Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered the potion a friend had given her long ago. It would restore her strength enough to where she wouldn't need to worry about staying hidden. She forced herself to her feet and made her way to it.

She never quite made it.

Instead, she found herself being flung across the room, landing awkwardly on her leg. She cried out as she felt the bone shatter and turned to see Anikka closing the wooden doors behind her. "So you do remember who you are."

"I remember everything. Especially the part about banishing you. How were you able to leave Midgard?" Sigyn asked as she forced herself up to her feet, fighting to ignore the blistering pain that spread throughout her body.

"Humans are remarkable. They have finally reached a time where their science was beginning to catch up with ours. They created cloning and I was able to perform it on myself. I killed the original Anikka thus severing my bond to Midgard and allowing me to come home."

"Clever."

She smiled. "I felt you taking energy from me earlier. Clearly it wasn't enough."

"It was enough to take Breyanna's head from her body."

The smile on Anikka's face wavered. "Breyanna was weak." She continued to stare at Sigyn, watching as she fought to keep herself standing. "And so are you."

Sigyn pushed herself out of the way as Anikka launched an attack at her, barely getting out of the way in the nick of time. The force of the blast ripped the bed apart, but pushed Sigyn close to the table with the potion again. Before Sigyn could start moving towards it, Anikka was on top of her, shoving a small dagger into her abdomen. Sigyn grunted, unable to scream. Unable to fight her off, she looked up at Anikka and saw the murderous look on her in her eyes.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Sigyn said, repeating herself for the fifth time. She pulled Anikka's energy with all her might from the places the sorceress was touching her and when she had enough, she used it to send Anikka flying across the room.

With what little energy she had left, she pulled herself to the table and knocked it over to fish for the potion. She had barely gotten it into her system before Anikka was on her again, stepping on her shattered leg. A scream passed Sigyn's lips, but it wasn't just from the pain in her leg. It was the from the pain of the sudden outburst of power. Everything in the room was lifted off the floor. Anikka's screams filled the room too as Sigyn's powers continued to grow. Sigyn watched as Anikka's eyes began to glow the same color as the pendant now floating freely before her. "Told you," she said, her voice distorted. A second later Anikka's body and everything else in the room seemed to explode from the inside out, falling back to the floor in pieces. Sigyn put her arms over her head to protect it. When the sounds of debris settling finally stopped, Sigyn closed her eyes and relaxed, allowing her breath to catch and body to heal. She knew she couldn't stay here, but she was in no position to move. For the next few minutes, she was safe.

* * *

Loki and Sif fumbled for their balance as they entered the underground. The ground seemed to shake as if the entire planet was being rattled. "What was that?" Sif asked.

"Sigyn," Loki guessed. "We need to hurry."

"You need to stop!" came Thor's booming voice after his hammer whizzed by Loki's face, keeping him from moving forward.

"An outburst like that means we don't have a lot of time."

"Where are the troops?" Sif asked as she saw only the Warriors Three following Thor.

"I noticed you two had gone and sent them to guard the palace."

"So they are doing what they did before. Your leadership skills are exquisite," Loki mocked.

Thor ignored him as he caught his hammer back expertly in midair. "Before I came running after you, I managed to spot an Aesirian trying to get away. We know these tunnels lead to the prison which leads to the palace. The guards are making their way there now and we will flush them out on this end."

"That power outburst was Sigyn. They're either killing her or she's killing herself trying to remember," Loki stated.

"He's right, we don't have a lot of time," Sif replied. "As we were fighting those outside, more of them fled. They either went to get away or-"

"Or their bringing backup," Thor finished for her. "Fine, let's go."

Before they could move, Aesirians flooded the room from all angles. The six of them stood their ground and began to fight. Loki threw everything he had at the seemingly never ending front of enemies and the first chance he saw to break through he took. He wasted no time to look back knowing his brother and the others would be just fine. Sigyn was the one that needed his help and he wanted to get to her as soon as possible.

It took him a few minutes to get to the prison part of the underground meaning he was close. He stopped outside of a cell and saw the body of a woman with a severed head lying a few feet away from it. A smirk rose to his lips at the sight knowing it was Sigyn who had done that. He proceeded until he found the exit leading him back into the palace. He stopped and looked around deciding which way would be best to go. Before he could make up his mind, he heard her scream again. This time he was sure it wasn't just him who had heard it and took off in the direction of the throne room.

Loki slowed as he a man standing in the middle of the throne room holding Sigyn up by her throat. He let the anger wash over him as he stepped through the doors. "Stop," he demanded.

The man adjusted his stance, but not his hold. "Or what?" he asked.

"Or nothing. You die whether you kill her or not," he said and rushed forward. He knew the moment the man dropped her that Sigyn fell to the floor. As he flung the man to the ground with such force the floor cracked, he looked at her and knew she was alive, but unconscious.

"How fitting," the man said as he whipped around and kicked Loki's legs from under him. "The man so intent on destroying on everything wants to save this one woman."

Loki didn't give him the satisfaction of playing verbal games. Instead, he used his favorite trick to surround the man with a wall of clones. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Haknor, leader of the Aesirians."

"From what I understand about history, Sigyn singlehandedly destroyed any chance the Aesir had of taking over this planet including hiding herself from you for a thousand years. What makes you think things have changed?"

"She's dead!" he cried out as he pointed to where she lay motionless.

"No," Loki said, getting rid of his clones so that he was face to face with Haknor alone. "But you are." With that, he moved forward and lodged the dagger into the center of the other man's heart. Not satisfied, Loki removed it and used it to sever the head from the body. He didn't even stand there long enough to see the body fall before he moved to scoop Sigyn up into his arms. "Sigyn, Kass, wake up," he demanded, touching her face with one hand.

He stared at her in confusion as he saw tears appear on her face. It took him a moment to realize they were from him. He wiped his face and then wiped hers. "Please, Sigyn. Wake up." His voice was strained, but he knew he had to say it before he never had the chance to. "I love you."

Sigyn's eyes opened slightly and she cringed at the pain she felt, but focused on the sight of him staring down at her. "You saved me."

"Again," he said without missing a beat. "It really is exhausting."

"I love you too," she mumbled. Her eyes fluttered and she felt herself slipping again. Unable to keep herself conscious she slipped back into darkness. Loki held her tighter and stood up. He was not going to let her die, not like this. With her still wearing the gateway key he was able to invoke the spell to bring them to Asgard and he was willing to face the consequences by doing so.


	21. Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

Loki appeared in the infirmary on Asgard. He had used too much power in doing so and staggered as his feet hit the floor. He fell to his knees in the middle of the room, trying his best to keep Sigyn steady in his arms. He heard the gasps from the men and women around him as they realized who it was that had entered so dramatically. "I need help here!" he shouted, ignoring the pain and weakness that threatened to take him down.

"Your Highness?" a small woman asked as she rushed forward.

Loki stared at her for a second; he hadn't heard that title from an Asgardian in a long time. "Help her," he demanded.

She nodded and looked to the others in the room. "Move!" she ordered and they came out of their daze to take Sigyn from him. Loki's arms fell to his sides and he crawled off to the side so he could lean against the wall. He watched as they put Sigyn on a table and started assessing the damage that riddled her body. The woman who initiated the help stepped aside to check on him. "You need help too."

He pushed her away from him. "No. When she's stable. Not before."

She stared at him for a moment, but ultimately moved back to Sigyn. Loki's eyes closed and his body went slack. It was getting harder to stay conscious, but the image of Sigyn's face and on body the table gave him just enough energy. He took a deep breath and forced his eyes open only to be greeted by the sight of Odin, Frigga, and a small army of guards bursting into the infirmary to see what all the fuss was about.

"Loki?" Frigga asked, taking a step forward only to be held back by Odin.

Loki's lips twitched as laughter bubbled up inside him from the gesture. He turned his gaze onto Odin and inclined his head slightly. "I will sit in that cell with my hands folded neatly in my lap, just as I told Thor I would, if you just let me sit here until she wakes up."

Odin stared at him as if trying to determine whether or not Loki was playing him. For a moment Loki thought he was going to deny him, but his hesitation made him wonder. It was Frigga who made the decision. "Of course," she said, looking to the table that Sigyn lying on. She made her way to the princess, leaving her husband and son to speak.

"You broke out of prison," Odin stated, stepping closer to him.

"Thor broke me out," he corrected, his head turning to look at Sigyn. "To save her."

Odin saw the concern pass over Loki's face and for the first time in a long time saw his son's guard fall apart. There was raw emotion on Loki's face; true emotions that would not be faked. Instead of saying and doing what he had come here to do, he stepped forward and offered Loki his hand. Loki stared at him with disbelief, but reached out to take it. "You still need to be punished."

"I understand."

Odin nodded. "As soon as she's awake." With that, he helped Loki to the table so he could watch as the Asgardian doctors went about trying to save Sigyn.

* * *

The moment Thor stepped out of the tunnel he noticed Odin standing at the entrance. He didn't have any of his guards with him which meant Thor was in more trouble than he had ever been before. He turned to his warriors and gestured for them to go on ahead without him. "There's horses waiting for the four of you," Odin said as they passed him.

"Thank you Your Majesty," Lady Sif said as she inclined her head before passing.

Thor stood at the entrance with his father, not saying a word. They watched as the four warriors mounted their horses and rode away down the Rainbow Bridge. "You broke your brother out of prison," Odin said at last.

"Yes."

"He is a war criminal, Thor. He tried to overthrow us both, he tried to destroy and enslave Midgard, and then he desecrated Asgard when he broke out of prison the first time." He turned to Thor, a scowl on his face. "And you break him out as if he did nothing wrong."

"What he did was horrible and he knows I don't condone it, but you never gave either of us the chance to explain why he came back."

"I'm listening now."

"He knows what he has done is wrong, I don't think he cares, but at least he knows. He went to Midgard because he thought it would be a good hiding place. While he was there he met a woman and it changed him. Just as it did with me. The woman turned out to be Sigyn of Vanaheim, the lost princess the Vanir Seer told us about." He took a breath and turned his hammer over in his hand. "Long story short, Sigyn was taken by enemies while in my care and Loki came directly to us to ask for my help. He said he would take whatever punishment you saw fit, but he wanted my help to save her. He was free, Father, but he came back because he loves her."

Odin let that sink in and shook his head. "I have known Sigyn since she was born. The two of them is not a good match. She is more lustful for power than Loki ever will be."

"Does it matter? He risked his own life for hers. In more ways than one."

"He is in the infirmary with Sigyn. She is stable, but when she wakes Loki will be put back in his cell where you will not be welcome to visit him. I will decide his true punishment as well as yours."

Thor wanted to fight back, but he knew it would only make things worse. "Can I see him now?" Odin simply nodded before pointing to two other horses waiting to take them to the palace. For the first time in awhile, Thor rode without dreading seeing his brother and hoped that he was alright.

The ride was a short one, but Thor continued to hurry as he made his way to the infirmary. His pace slowed as he saw Loki sitting by Sigyn, holding her hand as she lie in bed with her eyes closed. "Are you alright?" he asked as he stepped inside the room.

"I'm fine," Loki replied, never taking his eyes off Sigyn.

Thor nodded. "I just came to tell you that Freya is watching Vanaheim and overseeing damage control until Sigyn is well enough to go back and claim her throne. I'll be going back as well to help things along."

"Thank you," Loki said, finally lifting his head to look at his brother. "For everything."

Thor inclined his head. "You're welcome." He took a step back as Loki turned back towards Sigyn. "I'm here if you need anything, Brother."

"I know," Loki said quietly and watched from the corner of his eye as he saw Thor leave the room.

* * *

It felt as though she were trying to breathe underwater. There was pressure pushing down on her chest forcing her to fight for each breath. Just when she thought it was over, that air was never going to feel her lungs again, the pressure disappeared and she gasped at the sensation. She could tell there was light in the room even with her eyes closed. She blinked them open slowly and waited for the room to come into focus before she dared trying to move.

"Sigyn?" came Loki's voice from beside her.

Slowly, she turned her head and the sight of Loki's face brought her vision into crystal clear focus. "Loki," she breathed, her voice rough and cracked.

She could feel his hand covering hers and forced their fingers to link together, despite the pain that shot up her arm from the motion. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. "I thought I lost you for awhile."

She angled her head so she could brush her lips over his. The kiss was sweet, but brief as she realized she couldn't hold her breath long enough to kiss him properly. "Where are we?" she asked as he moved to lie beside her on the bed. As a result she ended up lying on him more than the bed, but the feel of his body beneath hers while she rested her head on his chest made the pain much more tolerable.

"We're in Asgard."

"Is it safe for you to be here?"

"No," he replied, not wanting to lie to her. Not when this was the last time he was going to see her. "But you needed help and the Asgardian infirmary is the best in the Nine Realms."

"How long have we been here?"

"Almost a week," he replied, reaching up so he could stroke her hair.

Sigyn closed her eyes as the information sank in. They were silent for a long time as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. "You left me."

"I thought I had to in order to save you. It was foolish," she said, giving her a curt explanation.

She felt him tense and forced herself up on her elbow despite his efforts to stop her. "But you risked everything to come back for me. That wasn't foolish."

He stared at her. "How did you know?"

"It explains how you ended up here. How else would you have known I was missing if you hadn't come to look for me?"

His lips twitched with the start of smile as she moved to lie back down. "I didn't get far before I realized that safety didn't matter. I loved you and you loved me; I wasn't going to let that go for no good reason."

Sigyn moved so that she could kiss him again and ignored the burn in her lungs that told her she needed air. Her hands cupped his face as his rested on her hips, their lips moving together as one until she couldn't take it anymore. "What's going to happen now?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"You're going to get more rest and stay here until you heal. Then you'll go home. To Vanaheim."

"And you?"

"Don't worry about me," he stated, but Sigyn had a sinking feeling she knew what was going to happen.

But she did worry. Only, there was nothing she could do about it, not yet. No matter how hard she fought to stay conscious, her body was still in need of healing. The only way to heal properly was to sleep more, but she wanted all the time she had with Loki. He had come back for her, she wasn't going to let him go again. "I love you," she said as she settled into a comfortable spot beside him.

"I love you too," he replied as he locked his arms around her.

The moment she was asleep again, Loki slipped out from underneath her and made his way to the door of the room she was sleeping in. Immediately, the guards on the other side aimed their weapons at him. He held up his hands and shook his head as the door closed behind him. "You can tell Odin that Sigyn woke up and that she is sleeping again. She will be back to her full health soon and ready to rule Vanaheim as she was meant to. As for me, you can tell him I'm going back to my cell, just as I promised." With that, he made his way towards the dungeon where he would wait for his punishment.


	22. Chapter 22

As Sigyn opened her eyes, a smile took hold of her lips. The pain was gone and she knew she would get to see Loki. However, those hopes were dashed the moment her eyes opened and she saw Thor standing there. She sat up and looked around the room, a panic rising in her stomach as she saw the guards outside the room. She looked at Thor, but he simply shook his head. "He's in prison," she stated. "Can I see him?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Odin isn't allowing him any visitors," he informed her.

She nodded once and then swung her feet off the side of the bed in order to stand. She waved him off when he moved to help her and when she was steady, she took a deep breath. "I want to go to Vanaheim."

Thor stared at her wondering why she wasn't demanded to see Loki. "I believe Odin wanted to speak with you first."

She smiled, but the humor didn't reach her eyes. "When you see him, you can tell him I respectfully declined his invitation and that I thank him for his hospitality."

He nodded, not bothering to put up a fight. "If you want we can use the Bifrost," he offered when he saw her getting ready to use her powers. "I can go with you if you'd like," he added.

She took a deep breath and then nodded. "I believe I owe you a very big thank you for allowing Loki to rescue me. I know that cost you."

"You make my brother less bitter. He loves you and I can tell you love him. He needs that."

"Are the Aesirians gone?"

He nodded. "There were very few survivors, but the main ones were not among those to get away. You won't ever have to worry about another Aesirian attack. Vanaheim is ready for your leadership."

"Then I'm ready to go home."

Thor extended a hand to her and she took it. With that, she closed her eyes and conjured up the image of the Vanir throne room. She couldn't help but picture the way she had last scene it as she relived finding her parents' bodies and almost losing her life there, but it worked. After she brought herself and Thor through the Asgardian barriers with her magic, she pulled away to wipe the tears from her face. She stared at the spot on the floor where everything had happened, only breaking her thoughts away from bloodshed as Thor's hand touched her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine."

"Sigyn?" came a woman's voice as someone came into the room. She was dressed in Asgardian garb, a crown atop her dark brown hair. Sigyn recognized her right away; Freya. "Is that really you?" she asked. As she approached, she took Sigyn's hand in hers and let the tears travel down her cheeks. "Welcome home."

"Thank you," Sigyn said before pulling her hands free. She left Freya and Thor behind as she made her way to the throne at the other end of the room. She had only sat in it once as her father paced in front of her, contemplating something a guard had told him. The closer she got, the more she realized that she was going to be the one in charge. Slowly, she placed her hand on the arm of the chair, letting the power seep through her from the touch. She turned and lowered herself into the throne. The moment she was seated, she closed her eyes and let the power truly envelop her. This is what she had denied herself for a thousand years out of fear. That fear was never going to take hold of her ever again.

"Sigyn?" Thor's voice said, pulling her from her thoughts of revenge.

The only thing that moved was her eyes, her body still perfectly still. Instead of wondering what he had wanted, she gave her first of many orders to come. "I want my crown," she said, directing her gaze to Freya.

"Of course," she said and went to retrieve it. Thor stayed behind for a moment longer to watch as the Sigyn he thought he knew disappeared and he got a glimpse at the Sigyn he had read about, the Sigyn his father had warned him about. As he turned to leave back to Asgard, he couldn't help but think of the look on her face and how it reminded him of Loki.

Freya entered the throne room soon after Thor's exit. She had a crown in her hand that made Sigyn's heart break. As a child her mother had often shown this to her to remind her that someday it would be hers, that someday she would be queen. "There is still some damage control being executed, but for the most part, Vanaheim is in good shape. If you would like, I could arrange a coronation before I take my leave back to Asgard."

Sigyn shook her head. "No need. I will not be having a coronation yet," she said before using her powers to take the crown from Freya's gasp. "I thank you for watching my planet for me, Freya. You have done a fantastic job, but I no longer require your services. I would like you and all the other Asgardians to vacate Vanaheim as soon as possible."

Freya stared at her with a look of shock on her face. "Sigyn-"

"Your Highness," Sigyn corrected. "You're dismissed," she added and placed the crown atop her head. She closed her eyes at the sight of Freya leaving the room and let the weight of the crown on her head calm her nerves. When she opened her eyes, she embraced the smile on her lips, knowing exactly what she was going to do with the power that came from being queen.

The guards stepped forward to keep Thor from passing them, but he could tell that they hesitated, bringing a smile to his face. This would be easier than he thought. "I'm sorry, Prince. The Allfather specifically said no visitors. Not even you are allowed to see him."

"I will tell my father that you fought brilliantly, but I am going to see my brother. You can stop me if you wish, but I strongly advise against it," he said, bringing his hammer into full view. They sighed and stepped aside to let him pass. "Thank you," he said and moved towards the cell where Loki was spending his sentence.

Just as he had promised, Loki was sitting in the back of his cell, his back against the wall, his hands neatly folded in his lap. There was nothing in the cell except for him. The sight made Thor feel sorry for him, but it wasn't a feeling that lasted long. "Here to break me out again?" Loki asked, his voice sounding almost normal. "If you are I respectfully decline such notion."

"I'm not here to break you out again."

One of Loki's dark brows rose with curiosity. "News of my punishment then?"

"I am not here about that either."

"Then what is it?" Loki asked almost in a snapping tone.

"I thought you would like to know that Sigyn is back on Vanaheim. She woke four days after you left her side. As of right now she has not had an official coronation, but she is ordering her people around trying to bring Vanaheim back to its original state."

Loki smiled, but Thor could tell it wasn't real. "Good for her."

"She did ask if she could see you, but Father denied her request."

He shrugged and closed his eyes. "Just as well, I would have turned her away anyway."

"Why?"

"Would you let Jane see you if you were in my predicament?" he asked and smiled at Thor's reaction. "I thought not."

"Loki-"

"I appreciate the update on Sigyn, I do, but I was not allowed any visitors and the last thing I need is for Odin to hear about this. Please leave, Thor. There isn't anything else either one of us has to say to each other."

Knowing there was nothing else to say or do, Thor turned and walked away. He walked all the way to the Great Hall where he knew he would find his father eating lunch. "We need to talk," he said upon approaching the head of the table.

"About what?" Frigga asked.

"About Loki."

The room seemed to fall silent around them as if waiting to hear news about the war criminal. Odin said nothing as he got out of his chair and beckoned Thor to follow him into a secluded room so that he could speak freely. "There is a reason I did not allow visitors. I knew if you saw him you would want to take pity on him. He does not deserve it."

"He's changed."

"It does not matter, Thor. The change came too late. What's done is done and there is no forgiving him."

"If you're so apt to punish him why has it taken so long to decide his fate?"

"Because despite what he has done he is still my son. I have raised him along with his mother since he was a babe and now I have to decide if I should sentence him to death or keep him locked up, always reminding me of my failure as a parent. It would take me just as long if it were you in that cell."

Thor had almost never heard something like that come from his father's mouth before and it unnerved him. "I cannot even begin to understand the struggle you are going through, but I ask that you be quick. Loki may be idly waiting now, but that won't last forever."

Sigyn looked over her shoulder as someone knocked on the door. "Come in," she beckoned and the door opened to reveal one of her maids. "Ah, have you brought it?"

The blonde nodded, her brown eyes full of pride as she presented the pillow in her hands to the queen. Sigyn's eyes went right to the crown that rested on the pillow, the jewels glinting from the light in the room. "I hope it is to your liking," she said, her voice filled with nerves.

Sigyn strode across the room to take the crown in her hands to better inspect it. "It's perfect. Fit for a king," she breathed as she took in the detail. It matched the one she wore atop her head, but it was slightly bigger, more masculine.

"A king?" the girl asked before she could stop herself. "Your Majesty-"

Sigyn placed the crown back on the pillow and shook her head. "All in due time," he replied. "Thank you for bringing it here. You can put it in the vault room until I need it." She watched as the girl left the room with the crown and smiled, thinking of how her plan was coming along nicely. The next part was to get the king to wear the crown.


	23. Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE

Thor was waiting at the end of the Rainbow Bridge as Sigyn approached it. He was leaning against the building with his arms folded across his chest, watching as she made her way towards him. She smiled as she came close enough to see his features and came to a stop soon after. "You look good," Thor addressed as he moved to give a half bow to her.

"Thank you," she said, inclining her head towards him.

"Our apologies for the lack of escort, but Odin was not expecting to see you."

She nodded. "I realize the courteous thing to do would have been to call ahead, but it was the best time for me. What I have to say will not take long."

"After you," he gestured and waited for her to begin to walk before following her into the palace.

They walked in silence for the majority of their travel and Sigyn couldn't help but notice Thor's eyes glued to her as though he wanted to ask a question. She stopped and turned around to face him, cutting him off. "No, I am not going to bother asking how Loki is or if I can see him. I know he's miserable and that Odin will not permit me to see him."

Thor smiled tightly and he nodded briefly. "I went to see him a few months ago after you went back to Vanaheim. He wouldn't let me tell him anything, but he was glad when I told him you were doing alright."

"I'm glad," she said and turned to continue on to see Odin, but Thor moved to block her path as she had done to him.

"You've been away from him twice as long as you've been together and you aren't even going to beg to see him for one moment or ask how he is?"

She grinned in a way that made him regret asking that question. "Not that it's any of your business, but I never intended to leave without seeing him. You'll just have to wait until I speak with Odin to see us reunited," she said and pushed past him. Thor followed her into the throne room and stopped behind her as the doors shut. "Allfather," she greeted, giving him a slight bow.

"Lady Sigyn," he returned from his throne. He offered a small smile and bowed his head. "Queen Sigyn. That is still taking some getting used to."

"I understand," she said and stepped forward. "I apologize for my lack of notice and formality, but I come here on official business."

"Speak freely," he offered, waving his hand for her to step forward. Thor followed her, taking his place off to the side so he could watch their interaction.

"As I'm sure you've heard, I've been working around the clock to get Vanaheim up to its former glory. Freya did a fine job keeping things together, but my planet got a little off track. I've been making my rounds to the alliances my father once had and I would like to discuss the treaty of peace between Vanaheim and Asgard."

Thor noticed the humor vanish from his father's face as the king looked at the young queen. Something about her expression let Thor know this wasn't going to end well. "There is no peace treaty between our worlds," Odin stated slowly.

A smirk crept onto Sigyn's face as she inclined her head ever so slightly. "Which is why I am here to discuss it."

"Are you declaring war? Asgard has always-"

"I distinctly remember you telling me I was on my own a thousand years ago. If there was truly no need for us to be enemies you would have helped me when I needed it most," Sigyn interrupted, her voice full of anger. "You may have had an unspoken agreement with my father, but that isn't good enough for me. I am willing to let go of my anger by making our peace official, but on my terms."

Both men knew what her terms would be, but neither had been prepared for her to say it. "I cannot give you Loki. He has to be punished for what he has done."

"I understand what he has done is not princely, but if you would like to prevent an all out war between our worlds then I suggest you take me up on my proposal."

Odin studied her for the longest time and after a look at his eldest son, he nodded at her. "What would your proposal be?"

"Traditionally a union such as marriage would suffice for a contract. If you let Loki come home to Vanaheim with me so we can hold such a union, I would consider Asgard and Vanaheim at peace."

"And if I did not agree?" Odin asked, his voice icy at her audacity.

"Then I take Loki from his cell upon my departure and come back with an army unlike anything you've ever seen."

"Threats are not tolerated here."

"I was merely promising," she stated and shrugged to show indifference. "Do you accept to my terms?"

Odin closed his eyes to think it over. "Loki has attempted to take over Asgard by nearly killing me, his father, his king, followed by going to Midgard to try and enslave, possibly destroy the planet. Then he returns home and almost destroys Asgard by escaping imprisonment and you want me reward him by letting him out to marry a queen? How is that justice?"

"If there's anything I've learned from my years on Midgard, it's that life isn't fair. You can save the lives of your people by making this deal or you can risk them all by denying me. Your choice."

Sigyn could see how torn he was, but it didn't stop her from smirking cruelly. As Thor saw her expression he thought of what Odin had said when he had told him Loki had changed. That Sigyn had not changed Loki for the better and that she was more corrupt than his brother. In this very moment, Thor saw it. He was drawn from his thoughts as Odin rose from his throne and came to stand before Sigyn.

"You would do well to remember that Asgard does not forgive those that threaten. I do not make this decision lightly and if either of you steps one foot out of line with any of the Nine Realms, even your own, there will be war, Sigyn. _That_ is a promise."

"Thank you, Allfather. I am very happy to say that our planets will soon be officially at peace with one another."

"Thor, escort her and the war criminal to the Bifrost," Odin demanded before walking away angrily, the sound of a door slamming shut ringing through the hall.

"Sigyn-"

"I told you I wasn't leaving here without seeing him," she interrupted and smiled widely. "And I would really like to see him now."

Thor didn't bother arguing with her. He hated the way she had forced Odin into a corner, but if the legends were true, he wouldn't stand a chance against her, not when she was so determined to see Loki. "Follow me," he said and began to lead her through the palace to the prison where Loki was being held. As he thought, the guards blocked their path as they approached the end of the prison.

"Sorry Prince Thor," one began, taking a bow. "I cannot allow any visitors beyond this point. You know that."

"I do know that, but the Allfather has just ordered the release of Loki Laufeyson, effective immediately."

The other guard smirked and gave a light snort, but when he realized Thor wasn't kidding, he straightened up. "But Sir-"

"He sent me here to retrieve him," Thor replied.

Sigyn stepped forward and waited as resolve of the guards faded and they stepped aside to let her pass. For months she had waited to see Loki again and now that it was moments from happening, she couldn't stop the tears in her eyes. One slipped down her cheek as she stepped in front of the glass and saw him sitting on the floor of a bare cell. He looked weak and paler than usual, making his hair seem darker than ever before.

"Loki," she breathed, her hand pressing against the glass.

He looked up and blinked, staring at her in disbelief. Slowly, he got to his feet and made his way to her. He put his hand on the glass to match hers. "Sigyn?" he questioned. "Is that really you?"

"It's me," she whispered. At that moment Thor opened the cell and the glass disappeared allowing their hands to touch. Their fingers linked and Loki raised his other hand to cup her cheek. His thumb wiped away the tear that sprung free as he leaned in to brush his lips over hers.

It was a brief kiss, but felt it from head to toe. "What's happening?" he breathed, his forehead resting against hers.

"You're coming home with me, Loki," she returned. "You're free."

His mind raced with a million and one questions, but the urge to get out of prison kept his mouth shut. "What are we waiting for?" With that, they followed Thor out of the prison and down to the Bifrost where Heimdall opened the portal allowing them to leave.

"Thank you," Sigyn said to Thor.

He inclined his head, having nothing to say to her. Instead, he turned to face Loki. "Goodbye, Brother."

"Goodbye," Loki returned, squeezing Sigyn's hand for reassurance before turning away to follow her into the portal.

They found themselves standing in the middle of Sigyn's freshly rebuilt suit of rooms. Loki turned to face her and let go of her hand in order to grab her waist and pull her close. She smiled up at him as her hands rested on his chest. "Welcome home," she breathed.

"Why-" he started, but she cut him off by reaching up to capture his lips with hers. Her fingers tugged at the buttons of his shirt. While they felt clean under her fingertips, the garment had clearly seen better days and it made her heart ache to know he had endured solitude for so long in order to save her.

Slowly, she pulled her lips away and looked up at him through her lashes while her fingers began to undo the stiff buttons. "We can talk about it tomorrow," she declared.

Loki nodded and leaned down to kiss her again. The kiss was agonizingly slow at first, building momentum as all their pent up desire woke up upon realizing this was not a dream. Sigyn's fingers clenched, grabbing his shirt as she began moving backwards towards her bed. By the time she had reached the mattress she had his shirt open and pushed back, almost all the way off. As the bed hit the back of her legs, she sat down. Loki stood before her, his hands running through her hair as she placed gentle kisses along his abdomen. He watched as she reached up to remove the bottoms that he wore and hissed as she moved her lips lower.

He caught her by surprise as he pulled back just before she took him into her mouth in order to remove the rest of his clothes. As he returned to her, he used his magic to make her garments disappear, not wanting to waste any time before being buried within her again. She leaned back, her hair fanning around her on the pillows as Loki settled himself between her thighs. Her hands rested on his biceps as he rested his forearms on either side of her head. His lips descended onto hers at the same moment he entered her body, swallowing their combined sigh of long awaited pleasure.

Her nails dug into his skin as he picked up the pace with each thrust. She moved her hips in time with his and as the pressure in her head began to increase, she arched her back. When she broke the kiss, Loki placed his lips against the side of her throat, nipping and licking her skin. It wasn't long before they were both pushed over the edge, reaching new heights from the solace they had found at being reunited.


	24. Chapter 24

**a/n: This is the last chapter for this story. I do plan on making a sequel as well as another Loki story altogether. I'm glad you guys enjoyed this :)**

TWENTY-FOUR

A smile graced her lips as she was roused from sleep by the gentle caressing of her face. He was gentle as he swiped the pad of his thumb over her cheek and traced her lips with his index finger. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw the smile that he had on. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers before whispering, "Good morning."

"Morning," she muttered back, shifting beneath the sheets to get closer to him. "How is it that you are always up before me?"

"The Fates are kind as they know how much I enjoy watching you sleep," he replied, his hand sliding to cup the side of her face. "You look peaceful and happy."

"I'm always happy when you're around," she breathed, reaching up to place her hand over his.

"As am I," he said and moved so that her body cradled his. "The Fates were kind the day they led me to you."

She stared up at him and reached up to brush the hair back from his face. "I love you."

"And I you," he replied and leaned down to capture her lips with his own. As the kiss deepened, they both reveled in the love that surrounded them and the joy that the feeling brought along with it. She closed her eyes and gave in to the kiss, focusing on nothing but the way his body felt above hers.

Slowly, Sigyn broke the kiss by moving her lips away from his. Loki remained where he was and kissed his way down her throat, enjoying the way her body felt beneath hers. He had dreamed of this for months, but the reality made him ache and waken another bout of passion. "I dreamt of this moment," she said, her skin vibrating under his lips.

"Is that so?" he murmured, his breath on her skin making her shiver.

"It was actually less than an hour before we met for the first time."

Loki thought back to that day on Midgard where he had pulled her from certain death as she was almost knocked into oncoming traffic. He recalled the confusion and recognition in her eyes when she finally saw his face in the alley and it made sense. "Ah," was all he said as he shifted ever so slightly so he could kiss his way down her chest.

"I'll never forget what you did for me, Loki," she said as his lips found her stomach.

"Nor will I ever forget what you did for me," he returned, his breathing tickling her skin. He moved back up enough to place his lips around one of her swollen nipples, making her involuntarily arch her body into his. She felt his smile against her breast as he asked. "How did you manage to convince the Allfather to let me out of prison?"

"I went there to speak of the peace treaty between Asgard and Vanaheim. It had always been an unspoken agreement between Odin and my father, but that wasn't going to be good enough, not this time around. I told him I had not forgotten nor forgiven the fact that he did not help me when I was at my most desperate a thousand years ago. I simply promised that if he agreed to my terms for a treaty of peace between our worlds I wouldn't launch an all out war."

Loki lifted his head and stared down at her. "You asked for my freedom instead of exacting your own revenge?"

She ran her hands up his biceps and nodded. "I told Odin that an alliance between our two worlds would be the best way to make our peace official."

Loki's eyes went wide at her words. "Sigyn-"

"I meant it, Loki," she said, smiling up at him. "I want you to share my throne with me here on Vanaheim. I want you to be my king."

He closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief, but he didn't try to pull away. "You don't know everything that I've done, Sigyn, I-"

"Stop," she demanded, her hands reaching up to brush the hair away from his face. "Stop trying to be noble."

"There are things that I've done in my past that-" he tried again.

"Seriously, Loki," she interrupted again, giving him a light smile. "Whatever it is that you have done or were thinking of doing had you not been caught isn't that bad. Not compared to what I have done in my past or what I will do in my future. What _we_ will do in our future."

His brow rose with curiosity, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'm listening."

She grinned and moved so that they could reverse their positions. She continued to grin down at him as he reached up and tucked her messy hair behind her ears. "I don't plan on being at peace with Asgard forever nor with any of the other Nine Realms." Her grin widened at the confusion on her face. "I am far older than you, Loki, and I assure you that the things I have done would make even your skin crawl. The war between the Aesirians and the Vanir was started by me. I was the reason their planet was destroyed and they were coming after me; they had to be stopped. It may have taken a thousand years for my plan to work, but I'm willing to wait another thousand years for the next phase to come together."

"What is the next phase?" he asked, completely intrigued.

"Do you still want to rule the Nine Realms?" she returned.

Their eyes locked and she felt his desire for power as he hardened beneath her. She smirked from ear to ear as she reached between them in order to bring him into her body. She bit her lip as she moved all the way down and then paused, reveling in the way he felt buried deep within her walls. "Yes," he whispered, both to her question and the way she clenched at him, taking him impossibly deeper.

"So do I," she said as she began to lift herself and bring herself back down at an agonizingly slow rate. His hands went to her hips to help steady her as well as give him a better angle. "Together we will go after every single one of them until they are ours. Once they are we will rule the universe together. We start with the lesser realms and end with Joutenheim for abandoning you and Asgard for all their treachery."

Loki surged forward until their chests pressed together so that he could capture her lips for a kiss so full of lust her head spun. "Just when I thought I couldn't love you any more," he murmured after tearing his lips from hers.

"And you thought I was this sweet innocent human."

"I've never been more happy to be proven wrong."

"I've waited a long time for this, Loki. You just have to be as patient as I was and all of our dreams will come true. I promise." Her words were cut off with a moan as he picked up speed. Her eyes closed and her head fell back, his lips automatically going to her neck. They continued driving each other to new heights, over and over again, all the while thinking about what the future would hold.

* * *

With a deep breath, Sigyn approached the doors that would open up to the aisle she would walk down to take Loki as her husband. A calm washed over her and settled her jittery nerves, a small smile taking hold of her lips as she saw Loki standing at the alter waiting for her. Silence fell over the crowded throne room as she made her way down. She was aware of the music playing in the background, but it barely reached her ears as she kept her focus on what lie ahead. As she reached the end of the aisle, Loki took a few steps towards her and reached out with his hand. She placed hers into his and smiled more as he brought it to his lips. Silently, he turned and led her up the steps before the man who would make them King and Queen.

He began his speech and had Loki and Sigyn say their part in turn. Instead of exchanging rings or other pieces of jewelry that was customary, they decided to have their crowns be their binding agents. "It is time, my Graces," the Officiant said. Two children brought about their crowns on separate pillows and knelt before them, hoisting those pillows for them to take. "It is my honor that I ask you Lord Loki to place the crown on Sigyn's head."

Loki reached down and picked up the crown that was meant for her. He smirked widely at her in a way that he knew she could never resist. "Since the moment I met you things have never been the same. You accept me for who I was, who I am, and who I will be. I will love you and only you until the end of my days. With this crown above your head I call you my Queen and my wife." He set it gently on her head and let his hands slide down slowly in order to wipe the tears from her face.

Sigyn took a deep breath and reached for the crown she had made just for Loki. "I did not know who I was when we met; I was lost. It was you who brought me back and you who will keep me from ever having to be lost again. I will love you and only you until the end of my days. With this crown above your head, I will call you my husband, my King." She reached up and placed the crown onto his black hair and smiled proudly at the sight.

Loki felt the metal resting there and the power that came with it. During the short stint he had worn the crown of Asgard he had felt power, but nothing compared to this. He had earned this crown and he intended to keep it there until he died. He stared back at Sigyn and felt a surge of desire towards her. Without her, none of this would be possible.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife; King and Queen, may you both be as one until the end of your days," the Officiant said and cheers erupted around them as the people celebrated. Loki and Sigyn threw themselves into one another's arms, their mouths crashing against each other. It was done. Now the second phase of their master plan could commence and nothing drove them forward than the plot of revenge and the lust for each other, something they both understood as they pulled apart and smiled each other's way before turning and waving to their people.

* * *

The feast that followed was a grand affair. The doors to the palace were opened to the public and the royals ate with the commoners as was the tradition on Vanaheim. Loki and Sigyn watched the festivities from their thrones, exchanging niceties with those that approached to show their gratitude and offer them advice. Sigyn smiled widely as Thor approached the throne. She even stood and made her way down the steps to speak with him as an equal. Loki followed suit and placed a hand upon his brother's shoulder.

"I'm very glad you could make it," Loki said.

Thor inclined his head to both of them. "I would not have missed it for the world."

"Too bad you are the only Asgardian that thinks that way," Sigyn muttered.

Thor smiled tightly at that. "Father has fallen ill, I'm afraid it won't be long now. Mother stayed behind to make sure he's alright. She did send gifts and asked me to congratulate the both of you."

Loki smirked. "I guess it means you'll be King of Asgard very soon."

"It certainly looks that way."

Sigyn caught the note of sadness and tilted her head to the side. "I thought you wanted to be King?"

"He does," Loki answered. "He just wants a certain mortal more."

Sigyn sighed and gave him a sympathetic look. "I am sorry."

"Lady Sif was always supposed to be my wife and I could not ask for a better match," he said and turned to see where the female warrior was.

"Queen Sif," Loki breathed, trying out the name on his tongue. "Times are changing."

"That they are," Thor replied, staring at the crown on Loki's head. "Don't mess it up," he added and turned to take his leave.

"Queen Sif," Loki repeated, turning towards Sigyn. He moved closer and rested his forehead against hers. "I can't wait to kill her and present her crown to you," he whispered so only she could hear.

"In due time," she whispered back and pressed her lips against his. They smiled into the kiss as the crowd cheered them on having seen them. As the cheering slowed, Sigyn pulled back first, but kept her forehead against his. "All in due time," she repeated and then guided him to the throne where they sat to observe the festivities once more.

**END.**


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